Former F1 strategy engineer Bernie Collins believes Red Bull may have tried to confuse its rivals by employing a phantom car during the RB20 unveiling. Several components on the team’s 2024 F1 car mimic those on Mercedes’ W14, which went the entire season without winning a single Grand Prix.
F1 enthusiasts with keen eyes noticed that the RB20 on display at the launch event featured vertical sidepod inlets and a bulging cooling system identical to Mercedes’ W14, which trailed Red Bull by miles in the Constructors’ Championship last season.
Sergio Perez admitted it was ‘brave’ for Red Bull engineers to take a different approach after dominating their rivals last year. However, Collins believes the whole affair was a plan to throw their opponents off guard about how the RB20 will genuinely look at the Bahrain Grand Prix early next month.
