Red Bull knowledge of RB16 to benefit 2021 'B-spec' car

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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says the team will continue to refine its knowledge of its RB16 in the upcoming races to help it field an improved 'B-spec' version of its car in 2021.

Max Verstappen has often underlined this season the unpredictable nature of the Milton Keynes outfit's 2020 contender. Yet the Dutchman is inching closer to his Mercedes rivals as his performance in the Eifel GP clearly indicated.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says halting the development of the Brackley squad's W11 has tightened the gap with Red Bull, but Horner insists his team is making real gains relative to its arch-rival.

©RedBull

"It felt like we were a step closer today," Horner said after last weekend's round at the Nürburgring.

"There were areas of the circuit where we were equal to or better than the Mercedes. Obviously Turn 13/14 seemed to be our weak spot in comparison to them at this circuit, so let’s see."

Horner says Red Bull is looking forward to the upcoming events and sustaining its "positive momentum" while preparing for 2021.

"We’ve got Portimao, we’ve got Istanbul, we’ve got Imola," added Horner.

"They’re all circuits that will be quite interesting for us and we’re keen to finish the season with positive momentum, having understood quite a few of the issues that we’ve had with RB16, so that that’s addressed going into RB16B."

Read also: Red Bull threatens to leave F1 without 2022 engine freeze!

Looking further into the future at 2022, Red Bull's only question is what engine will power RBR and AlphaTauri when F1's new regulations kick in.

"We’ve got to do our due diligence and we’re grateful that Honda have given us close to a year-and-a-halfs worth of notice," Horner told Channel 4.

"If they had made this decision this time next year that would have been disastrous for us.

"So they’ve been very courteous, they’ve given us a lot of time to just take in what are all the scenarios? What are the FIA going to do? What is their response going to be?

"And I think by the end of the year, because by January already for the 2022 regulations design will need to start, we’ll need to have a solution to what engine will be in the Red Bull from 2022 onward."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.