The first images of the RB18 sent the paddock into a frenzy, with everyone trying to figure out what the energy drink team was doing differently to their rivals.
What has Red Bull tried to hide before starting F1 2022?
The RB18 features a four-element front wing and a sunken mainplane in the center section that feeds into the lower part of the nose, which tapers out from a slightly narrower front end.
You can see there is a cooling hole for the driver at the tip of the nose, housed within its own panel, meaning the car will also be able to run without it.
Two spacers connect the nose tip to the mainplane, both of which are sloped inwards to facilitate airflow passage. Elsewhere on the wing, the slotted spacers and front wing adjusters serve a similar function, unsurprisingly given the lack of flow conditioning devices teams are now permitted by regulation on the front of the wing.
The connection of the aileron to the mainplane endplate is relatively conventional, with only a simple bowed-down section before they meet. However, the elements are angled more aggressively outwards, towards the rear of the assembly, to encourage airflow.
This is further complemented by the “dive plane”, which is quite low on the endplate.
Red Bull hasn’t faltered when it comes to front suspension design either, as while it has made the switch to pull-rod, its bid for an unusual fork design has remained.
The front upper fork leg is as high as it will go, while the rear leg is set back in a much lower position. The team has opted to position the steering arm in front of the front lower fork leg, so that they work the airflow that passes in tandem.
Sidepod design is where the new regulations appear to have created the most diversity this season, and Red Bull is no exception!
Their solution seems to meld many of the designs we’ve seen from other teams, while also mixing in some of their own.
The forward section of the pontoon has a bowl-shaped façade, which overhangs the front of the pontoon to capture airflow, while also serving as a flow conditioner that also creates significant sag as a result.
Looking at this section of the sidepod it is similar to the Aston Martin or AlphaTauri and instead of just having two square inlets the top is cut away allowing access to the section of the sidepod where the radiators are housed.
And, to that effect, the RB18 ‘s radiators and other associated electronics housed inside have been packaged in a more reclined position than normal.
Its overall size is aided by the team’s use of central cooling, which has become even more important since they switched to the Honda power unit, with coolers and radiators mounted around the V6 ICE.
Directly forward of the front side of the sidepod is an elongated rear-view mirror which, like the Mercedes and Williams designs, is positioned along the side of the sidepod to deflect any air plumes from the front tyre.
The mirror itself is divided into several sections, with the main body made up of two sections, one of which is very thin and supports the mirror glass, while the main body, which is in front of it, is shaped like a more distinctive shell.
A series of flow conditioners have been added to these two independent bodies that surround the entire assembly and are considered part of the bodywork of the mirror support.
The team continues to use small fins on the side of the halo, while the rear section has been tapered to a sharper profile to provide more flow conditioning (green arrow).
Returning to the sidepod design, the high-waisted midsection continues to give way to airflow around the underside of the car, while also blending in with a ground-engaging rear end similar to the AlphaTauri team.
When it comes to the design of the underground tunnels, the floor of the car and the diffuser, Red Bull has also gone for something different in the RB18 .
The leading edge of the flat bottom meets the side of the chassis, as many of the designs do, before bowing towards the leading edge wing (blue arrow).
Not only is this a little help for the rear of the car, but it is also complemented by an inner section that is very close (red arrow), which is of a similar height and is cut away.
As we go along the edge of the floor, we can see that one of the parts is positioned looking from below, deflecting some of the airflow outwards (black arrow), while there is a cut in the floor with a coiled arch across it. half (green arrow), which becomes a scroll from there, with which the team seeks to improve the airflow conditions at the edge of the flat bottom and prepares the optimal conditions for the rear tire.
The team has opted for a push-rod rear suspension design, raising elements of the rear suspension to allow more room for the enlarged diffuser section, which also means there needs to be more room above in the bottleneck region.
The rear wing features a single gooseneck-style mounting pillar, which sits above the mainplane and connects directly to the DRS activator pod, clearing the way for a cleaner flow to the underside of the mainplane. The beam wing has an interesting interpretation that we haven’t seen on any other gear, as it has two full chord elements stacked on top of each other.
The rear wing also features a rather substantial V-groove in the center section of the upper wing as Red Bull looks to balance its high downforce demands with reduced drag.
