Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez battled for position during the Formula 1 World Championship race in Saudi Arabia. Red Bull’s development driver, Jake Dennis, shared that the team was prepared for a tougher competition from Mercedes at the start of the 2024 F1 season. Red Bull has been dominant since the introduction of ground effect cars in 2022, winning almost every race last season and holding onto both championships. Their success has continued this season, with Max Verstappen leading the team to consecutive 1-2 finishes. Red Bull has maintained their advantage by making innovative changes to the RB20, focusing on consistent downforce. Dennis believes that the key to their success lies in providing Verstappen and Perez with a well-balanced car that inspires confidence as they navigate different types of corners. Ferrari and Mercedes have made significant changes to their cars for the 2024 season in an attempt to catch up to Red Bull. Dennis had previously warned their rivals that they needed to find an extra second per lap to compete with the RB20. However, he admits that Red Bull was surprised by Mercedes’ lack of competitiveness. While Ferrari has shown improvement, Mercedes is facing a fundamental correlation issue with their W15. Dennis acknowledges that the gap has narrowed, but they were expecting a stronger challenge from Mercedes. They are looking forward to racing on more traditional tracks to see how the competition unfolds.
