Red Bull’s upgrades for the 2022 Formula 1 British Grand Prix came as a surprise after some in the paddock claimed there would be no significant updates, but a ‘gap’ along the engine cover has raised intrigue .
The Milton Keynes team has made an important change to the bodywork where the pontoons join the engine cover. This has created a few different channels for the airflow to flow through, both above the sidepod itself and above the halo profile.
Interestingly, when compared to sister team AlphaTauri, it’s sort of a design akin to the AT03, which has sported that ‘hollow’ approach since the start of the season.
And like the Faenza package, it has resulted in a change in the position of the upper cooling grille panel, so that it isolates the heat expelled from the region of the airflow passing over the sidepod. By creating that kind of ‘ shelf ‘, the team has been able to isolate the aerodynamic flow across the surface of the bodywork from the side.
Additionally, by raising and flattening the engine cover outlet, they achieve a much deeper recess in the bottleneck section for improved ground and beam wing performance.
Red Bull also continues to optimize its bottom package with revisions to the elements and edge of the ground, as the team is looking for small but significant changes to improve the flow path that makes it all add up.
For that reason, the teams this season are using sections of panels placed in the bottom of the car to have the necessary capacity to make changes without requiring a modification of the entire structure.
Changes have also been made to the RB18’s front brakes, as Milton Keynes have redesigned the caliper so that it isn’t overly affected by temperature spikes from other nearby components.
That’s in line with the Austrian outfit’s recent addition of a disc cover surface treatment to help manage temperature change.
In the comparison below you can see the new coated version on the left, and the one without this treatment on the right.
