Red Bull RB20

[ME4ME]

Looks to me that at least two parts of the upgrade or re-configuration are to move balance slightly forward.

Rear wing and beam wing, I guess if you'd draw a vector of downforce and drag, it might be more beneficial in mechanical/moment terms to load the beam wing heavily rather than the rear wing.

New sidepod slope which drops down more steeply near the rear of the car might move some of the lift rearwards.

[organic]

Looks like the new diffuser wasn't ready for COTA but has made it to Mexico??

@danielealofan on twitter for pics, not sure of photographer unfortunately

Baku


Cota (by Nicolas Carpentiers)


Mexico

[lio007]

[Cassius]

Looks like the new diffuser wasn't ready for COTA but has made it to Mexico. Significantly revised

@danielealofan on twitter for pics, not sure of photographer unfortunately

Baku
https://i.imgur.com/S0KTCjl.jpeg

Cota (by Nicolas Carpentiers)
https://i.imgur.com/cox7aWD.jpeg

Mexico
https://i.imgur.com/VLx2bTu.jpeg

Hard to see the changes. If this is a new diffuser I guess Max will get it and Checo will drive the Austin floor.

[nico5]

Looks like the new diffuser wasn't ready for COTA but has made it to Mexico??

@danielealofan on twitter for pics, not sure of photographer unfortunately

Baku
https://i.imgur.com/S0KTCjl.jpeg

Cota (by Nicolas Carpentiers)
https://i.imgur.com/cox7aWD.jpeg

Mexico
https://i.imgur.com/VLx2bTu.jpeg

It's exactly the same mate

[Cs98]

Looks like the new diffuser wasn't ready for COTA but has made it to Mexico??

@danielealofan on twitter for pics, not sure of photographer unfortunately

Baku
https://i.imgur.com/S0KTCjl.jpeg

Cota (by Nicolas Carpentiers)
https://i.imgur.com/cox7aWD.jpeg

Mexico
https://i.imgur.com/VLx2bTu.jpeg

It's exactly the same mate

Look at the angle between the keel thingy that was added in the middle (the bit that is bonded on) and the top of the roof. Baku vs Mexico. Now it's a straight line, before there was an angle.

[nico5]

Looks like the new diffuser wasn't ready for COTA but has made it to Mexico??

@danielealofan on twitter for pics, not sure of photographer unfortunately

Baku
https://i.imgur.com/S0KTCjl.jpeg

Cota (by Nicolas Carpentiers)
https://i.imgur.com/cox7aWD.jpeg

Mexico
https://i.imgur.com/VLx2bTu.jpeg

It's exactly the same mate

Look at the angle between the keel thingy that was added in the middle (the bit that is bonded on) and the top of the roof. Baku vs Mexico. Now it's a straight line, before there was an angle.

https://i.imgur.com/S0KTCjl.jpeg


https://i.imgur.com/VLx2bTu.jpeg

One is taken from below and one from above, ofc the angle looks different here. But it's the same

[organic]

It's exactly the same mate

Look at the angle between the keel thingy that was added in the middle (the bit that is bonded on) and the top of the roof. Baku vs Mexico. Now it's a straight line, before there was an angle.

https://i.imgur.com/S0KTCjl.jpeg


https://i.imgur.com/VLx2bTu.jpeg

One is taken from below and one from above, ofc the angle looks different here. But it's the same

Since Baku they've brought an entirely new floor and the info from inside the team is that the diffuser has been the main focus of the latest development (to reduce instability). It's not a question of if there's been a change it's a matter of when. The angles aren't the same here, but there is a large difference in keel geometry between the new spec and the makeshift Baku spec. Unfortunately there aren't many pics from cota so we can't confirm if the update was there, but I'm told that it was on the car for cota.

[Rikhart]

Is it just me, or this car is now night and day over the kerbs? It looks like a different car now.

[Andi76]

Since Austin, the sidepod also looks more like a Ferrari in this respect than the inwash in the lower rear area.

[Henk_v]

Is it just me, or this car is now night and day over the kerbs? It looks like a different car now.

Not just you. The RB20 attacks T2 as agressive as Ferrari.

[Farnborough]

My perception (from views in coverage and still image, for the incoming pedantic contributors) was that the chassis had more static rake at COTA GP with what appeared to be more malleable rear suspension travel.

It may not give absolute pace from that aspect but generally appeared to calm the rear actuation/events of rear suspension in this iteration. Looking like a softer approach with potentially less absolute peak lateral tenacity as result.

This appears to be contained more by MV driving style to work it better than SP but with less problem in handling COTA bumps etc.

It looks similar here at Mexico, with a little more accepting response in vertical movement when asked, but again perhaps a compromise in absolute peak lateral tenacity, as evidenced by MV on track comments about rear grip and stability.

[avantman]

Is it just me, or this car is now night and day over the kerbs? It looks like a different car now.

Not just you. The RB20 attacks T2 as agressive as Ferrari.

look at the telemetry overlays, Ferrari are in different league there, regaining rear grip quicker and gaining gaining gaining all the way through the following straight, even if Max was at full throttle a touch earlier. Mclaren had similar advantage there. You can't see these things just by watching onboards alone.

[venkyhere]

Is it just me, or this car is now night and day over the kerbs? It looks like a different car now.

Not just you. The RB20 attacks T2 as agressive as Ferrari.

look at the telemetry overlays, Ferrari are in different league there, regaining rear grip quicker and gaining gaining gaining all the way through the following straight, even if Max was at full throttle a touch earlier. Mclaren had similar advantage there. You can't see these things just by watching onboards alone.

low speed traction at exit of slow corners is a huge disadvantage for RB20 (was the same even for RB18, RB19) compared to the Ferrari and McLaren. I think this has as much to do with the gear ratios and engine characteristics, as it has to do with mechanical grip via suspension behavior. Exactly opposite with high speed corners. No matter how badly the car is setup, it has superior ability than Ferrari/McLaren in high speed large radius corners - the way the RB20 deals with the lateral weight shifts is exemplary at high speeds.
Such things are what we should consider 'baked-in' features of the car, based on the fundamental design philosophy.

[venkyhere]

My perception (from views in coverage and still image, for the incoming pedantic contributors) was that the chassis had more static rake at COTA GP with what appeared to be more malleable rear suspension travel.

BIngo. I too thought the same (camera angle was showing the right side side-on view of the car , I think in COTA T1) and it reminded me of the RB16b with it's high floor rake. Then I thought it was an optical illusion and that my eyes were deceiving me. Thanks for validating what I saw.