As soon as Red Bull rolled onto the track in Barcelona, it gave the impression of an alien spacecraft just landed on planet earth. Adrian Newey ‘s interpretation of the new 2022 rules has literally left pundits open-mouthed at the extreme solutions he has carried out on the RB18 of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.
The single-seater of the Milton Keynes structure showed that it is possible to find a third way that differs from the inclined bellies of the Mercedes and the double bottom of the Ferrari.
The RB18 shows an incredible sag under the sidepod area, a bulge that very clearly divides the airflow intended for power unit cooling and the air directed towards the floor area, which has the sides too long to fade, but with an exaggerated front flare.
In the design of the belly of the car we also see the introduction of a new material in the front part that is more exposed to the flow, a sign of extreme research that is not only aerodynamic but also goes into the search for aerospace solutions.
The sidepods are already modular in the original design, so the RB18 will be able to change its setup from race to race without any problem. The front suspension is pull rod , while the rear is push rod , with a nose distinguishable by a small hole in the center that rests on the second profile of the nose, while the front wings seem have been designed looking for a very forced outward bulge.
A more complete description of the car is on the way.
