Mercedes technical director James Allison admits he is ‘desperate’ to be invited into Red Bull’s garage to take a look at their innovative cooling system. The bold new design overseen by Adrian Newey came as a shock to many, given the ease with which Red Bull won last year’s world titles.
Red Bull had plenty of time to develop their RB20, having switched their attention towards 2024 long before last season came to a close. The launch of their new car and subsequent period of pre-season testing in Bahrain proved that Newey and his team of engineers put that time to good use.
Rather than hone last year’s RB19, which won 21 out of 22 Grands Prix over the course of the season, Red Bull opted to make several fairly significant changes to the design.
Early signs at the Bahrain International Circuit this week were positive for Max Verstappen’s hopes of making it four Drivers’ Championships on the bounce, and one element of the design has left Allison stumped.
“I would deeply love to be invited into the Red Bull garage and take their engine cover off and delve around under those snorkely things,” he told Sky Sports.
“There is definitely a different approach being taken there. What glimpses you see of their cooling system, it’s definitely not light and svelte. They’re doing that for a reason but we haven’t figured it out yet.”
Mercedes’ pre-season showing was solid if unspectacular, with George Russell posting the third-fastest lap time of those using the C4 compound tyres, and Lewis Hamilton posting the fourth-fastest of those using C3. Both Brits claim the W15 is easier to drive than last year’s car.
“We’re reasonably pleased with the pace that we’re showing,” Allison continued. “There was a McLaren and a Ferrari going around the track on the same tyres and we were looking alright.”
