Oracle Red Bull Racing’s double title defence fired up at Silverstone on Tuesday 13 February as Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen and last season’s second placed driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez put the Team’s new RB20 car through its first paces during a filming day at the Northamptonshire circuit.
Max was first behind the wheel, hitting the track for his opening runs of 2024 on a typically cold and wet British winter morning.
After a series of runs in front of the cameras it was Checo’s turn to take the wheel of the F1 Constructors’ Championship defending car. The teammates completed 197.9km between them, before boxing for the day.
Max said: “The wait between now and Abu Dhabi has been quite long, so it is good to be back on track. I’ve been enjoying pre-season, I tried to spend as much time as I could at home and prepare for the season ahead. It was great to see the car out in full swing at Silverstone and you can see that the look of the car is quite different this year. Despite the rain, the RB20 felt good to drive, which was the most important objective. It is of course going to be difficult to replicate the year that we had in 2023, but each year we always try to build on the knowledge we have acquired and learn. I do think that this can be a very competitive car and it is now up to us to extract the most out of it, so I am excited for the season ahead.”
Checo added: “This Filming Day is our first chance to get in the car, to make sure everything fits well and make sure we also still fit in the car after the winter! It was a very positive day, aside from the weather, which was bad but the RB20 still feels good, you can still feel a good car in the wet. The concept of the car is quite a bit different for 2024, and I think there are going to be a few big talking points. I believe the Team have had a pretty good winter, but it is all relevant until we see what everyone else has done this week. I am looking forward to getting out on track now in Bahrain, to prepare properly for the season ahead, I just want to enjoy it, give my best and take every opportunity in 2024.”
Christian Horner, CEO and Team Principal said: “It was great to be back on track at Silverstone, seeing the RB20 come to life is incredible, it is always a special moment seeing a car drive down the pitlane for the first time. This Filming Day is enormously important for us all, from drivers to the marketing department. Max and Checo both got a good feel for the car, there is nothing to be deuced from the performance but it’s a moment to get those simple basics out and the way and tick a few boxes before heading out to Bahrain. We are looking forward to seeing the car in drier conditions now. Our goal and aim for 2024 has to be to defend both Championships.”
