Red Bull was one of the stars ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 British Grand Prix, as the team that leads the drivers’ and constructors’ championships unveiled a new aerodynamic design at Silverstone. At a time when many other single-seaters are converging in their single-seater shapes, Adrian Newey , one of the greatest exponents of Austrian engineering in the modern era, has taken another important step forward.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto had anticipated that Red Bull would introduce an upgrade package at the British GP, something his namesake in the energy drinks outfit, Christian Horner , had denied.
However, the words have gone with the wind after seeing that those from Milton Keynes have worked hard, not only to try to reduce the weight of the RB18, which is gradually approaching the regulatory limit of 798 kilos, but to make the A more aerodynamic car behind the driver’s shoulders, with a completely new engine cover that streamlines the shapes of the rear.
In the RB18, the idea of hollowing out has not been taken to the sidepods, as Alpine did by copying the Ferrari F1-75, but rather to the rear area, trying to stylize the car’s body near the engine, as can be seen in the photo illustrating this article.
Behind the added elements of the Halo , you can see the presence of a kind of path that extends to the hot air outlet of the tail, which is no longer round but rectangular. The gills, which were previously visible diagonally on the engine cover, have also been kept and are now almost horizontal.
Following this line similar to the one chosen by McLaren in the MCL36, you can see a flared body that aims to achieve two results: first, increase the Coanda effect to bring the flow towards the bottom; second, to significantly improve the efficiency of the beam wing .
Red Bull , despite the words of its team’s chief executive officer, has no intention of slowing down the development race by defying any budget caps. The battle for the world championship is more open than ever, and a key factor lies in the ability to bring the evolutions to the track faster than the rivals.
