Max Verstappen Warns David Coulthard About Dangers of RB20 When Asked for a Drive Around Wet Silverstone

Max Verstappen Warns David Coulthard About Dangers of RB20 When Asked for a Drive Around Wet Silverstone

The 2024 Formula 1 season marks the 20th anniversary of Red Bull in the sport. Commemorating this milestone at the iconic Silverstone International Circuit, former Red Bull driver and three-time world champion, Max Verstappen discussed switching machinery.

Coulthard offered Verstappen a go at his Red Bull debutant – the RB1. In return, the Briton wondered if he could take Verstappen’s current challenger, the RB20 on a spin. The Dutchman was quick to warn the 53-year-old against it.

In a video uploaded by Red Bull to their YouTube channel, Verstappen can be heard saying, “I wish you good luck driving that [the RB20] with the current state, with the tires – so cold around here. I am not sure you will be comfortable!”

In the end, Coulthard was wise enough to heed Verstappen‘s advice. Formula 1 tires need to be in the right operating window, temperature-wise. With the chilly and damp conditions at Silverstone that afternoon, Max Verstappen was right to be apprehensive.

The video was an ode to the boys and girls working tirelessly in Milton Keynes since 2005. The RB1 was Red Bull’s first foray into the sport. Now, 20 years and thirteen championships later, the RB20 is looking to build on that legacy.

How Red Bull and Formula 1 have evolved in 20 years

The RB1 and the RB20 do share the same DNA. The winning mentality that Red Bull has is very apparent in the art of engineering the team has managed to produce, twenty years apart. However, the sport and the RB series have evolved multi-fold in all these years.

For starters, the RB20 shares the ground effects design philosophy with the likes of the RB18 and RB19. Whereas, the RB1 was a car designed during a time when ground-effects were essentially banned in F1.

Moreover, the RB20 does not have any driver aids like Traction Control. The RB1 on the other hand was produced right in the middle of the Traction Control era of the sport (2001-2007). Lastly, while the RB20 boasts a V6 Turbo-Hybrid power unit, the RB1 came installed with a screaming 3.0 litre V10.

Post Edited By: Shreya Sanjeev
David Coulthard Max Verstappen Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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