Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed how a recent experiment may prove to be pivotal in their bid to secure two Formula 1 world championships this season.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit are chasing a third consecutive constructors' title in 2024, while star driver Max Verstappen is on course to collect a fourth straight drivers' crown.
While Verstappen may hold a sizeable advantage in the drivers' standings, the Dutchman has been a long way off his best, and following Lando Norris' win at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, has failed to triumph on any of his last five outings.
While the 70-point gap may be too much for Norris to claw back given there are only nine races remaining, the battle for the constructors' championship is far tighter.
As things stand, just 30 points separate Red Bull and McLaren, and with Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez continuing to struggle, that lead is far from comfortable.
Speaking after the weekend's action in Zandvoort, Horner revealed the team took the opportunity to try out various set-ups with their two cars.
He hopes the results of their experiment will allow the team to make improvements as the season nears its climax.
“I think this weekend, we’ve run the cars in different specifications, and I think that has actually given us quite a lot of valuable info,” Horner told Motorsport Week.
“I think the drivers’ feedback has been very positive into that as well, in terms of what they’re feeling from the different set-ups.
“It hopefully now gives a real direction for the engineering group.”