After the bitter defeat in Australia Red Bull wants to regain the lead of the group and avoid any doubts about its superiority. At Suzuka he will be able to count on a friendly circuit, but in addition to this we could see a new version of the RB20 which already surprised us during the presentation phase due to its substantial differences with the RB19. Changing the rules of the game again. On the eve of the weekend in Japan everyone is therefore wondering if Red Bull will play the wildcard in the land of the rising sun, bringing some big updates. An important wild card given that there is talk of a zero-pod version of the RB20, a further provocation for Mercedes which for two years tried to get to the bottom of a project born from that concept, then abandoned.
Max Verstappen's mysterious answer
When asked by PlanetF1 about upcoming Red Bull updates, three-time world champion Max Verstappen responded rather mysteriously, generating even more curiosity on the topic: “Well, the color will be the same, but you'll see..."
An answer that opens up the possibility of truly seeing a revolutionized RB20 in Japan, with non-existent bellies. The idea for the project comes from Mercedes, but Newey, unlike the Brackley team, is determined to make it work, yet another challenge in a life already full of successes. Nothing seems to be able to stop the reigning champions team, not even the rumors about a farewell at the end of the season for Marko and Verstappen. Red Bull immediately made it clear that the RB20 would not remain there, but that it could be even more daring. This is why there is so much anticipation for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Red Bull, confidence returns for the Japanese GP
The setback in Australia also allowed the team to focus on the possible weaknesses of the RB20. Two weeks later, however, confidence seems to have returned. Suzuka is a circuit that exalts the drivers, an old school circuit. And Max Verstappen, who boasts a 4-point gap in the Drivers' Championship, hopes to be able to make up for it in Japan, on a circuit where he loves racing.
"It's gone well so far, but of course everyone has different characteristics in their cars, so it's not a given that we'll be really competitive like last year.. I am enthusiastic, It's a track that I really like. I know I have confidence in the car, I feel good. We shouldn't have been on pole in Melbourne, but the laps we did were really good. So I just want to have a good weekend again and feel good about the car".
Source statements: FormulaPassion
