Adrian Newey: RB20 is the next step in Red Bull's design evolution

Newey instead branded it as a "third evolution" in their F1 lineup.

The RB20 has become a focal point in the early stages of the 2024 season, garnering attention across the F1 paddock for its assertive design, particularly in the sidepod region.

At first glance, similarities can be drawn between the RB20 and Mercedes' 2022 design, as well as their setup from the onset of the previous year, notably with their engine cover.

With the stark deviation from the all-dominating RB19, which clinched victory in 21 out of 22 races in 2023, many have questioned Red Bull's decision to introduce such innovation given their prior success.

Nevertheless, Newey has played down the perceived disparity between their latest model and its predecessor.

"No, not at all," Newey said on the F1 Nation Podcast when asked if the RB20 was a 'step into the unknown'. 

"I mean, the underlying architecture of the car is the third generation evolution of what started as RB18.

"Where we carry everything, apart from the radiators, they've changed, but apart from that, the layout of the front suspension, the rear suspension, the gearbox, casing, et cetera, it's a third evolution of RB18.

"The bits that are visible, and they've obviously caused quite a lot of attention, obviously, we're pursuing aerodynamic gains there, but the visual change is actually much, much larger than the performance change you get from that and there are other much more subtle bits, that people haven't noticed, that are probably responsible for a bigger gain."