Red Bull RB22

[organic]

Sidepod inlet is swept backwards around 40-45 degrees. This was not obvious in any other shots
https://i.postimg.cc/HnVm0T4R/image.png

Looks very messy

Here's another perspective if anyone is struggling



You can see the inlet is swept backwards

[AR3-GP]

Can also see the halo inlets which are semicircular

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

[organic]

Can also see the halo inlets which are semicircular

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

What other head-on rb22 shots do you have with enough detail to see a feature like this?


This image shows another point. A startling lack of undercut. Pretty much the only undercut present is the inlet scoop lower lip.

[AR3-GP]

Can also see the halo inlets which are semicircular

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

What other head-on rb22 shots do you have with enough detail to see a feature like this?

Mostly the morning photo op from Red Bull and the two videos that they published. This first one is where I got the head on shot from (near the end of vid).

[Badger]

Can also see the halo inlets which are semicircular

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

It’s a shadow I’m pretty sure. Too small to be inlets and it’s not visible in the other frontal shots.

Plus I’m pretty sure legality would have something to say about making an inlet out of the headrest.

[f1isgood]

The rear part of the sidepods reminds me of the pre-Bahrain RB18. Lot less volume here though

[AR3-GP]

DRS

[Lasssept]

[johnnycesup]

This image shows another point. A startling lack of undercut. Pretty much the only undercut present is the inlet scoop lower lip.

I saw the same too, incredible lack of undercut. It's pretty much straight down.



Sort of reminds me of the williams FW44 launch spec, with the lack of undercut and steep ramp right after.

EDIT:
looking more closely, i take back the FW44 thing. The redbull sidepod has no undercut at all because it's just smaller up top, not because it's wide at the bottom

[DiogoBrand]

DRS

https://i.postimg.cc/W33W48VV/image.png

You mean Y mode?

Please don't kill me, but this is what those sidepods remind me of:

[PlatinumZealot]

A few thoughts.

- The issues with the zeropod were as far as I can recall drag and that they never got the floor to work properly. The floor I think will solve itself because it was venturi related. I do wonder how the drag will work on this car. There is a barge board area that tries to generate upwash, and you have the active aero. RB must believe they have a way to make it work or they wouldn't have gone down this path, efficiency is key.

- This must surely be a W2A cooling set-up now.

- This would not have been possible with Honda. This is the sort of packaging that only a fully integrated works team can pull off right away, and even then it may not be possible. Only Mercedes (as we saw in 2022) and (now) RBR can do something like this out of the box. Ferrari has the tools to do it but I've not seen them be so bold.

The zero pod did not directly increase drag. As the name implies it's a smaller front area and a cigar shaped so it self has less drag. The problem was that the leading half of the Ground effect floor needs a very strong outwash at the edges PLUS coupling that with pushing wide the front wheel wake. Teams achieved this with the upper shoulder of the side pod set very wide and the foot of the side pod widening from a cavernous undercut to spill flow at the floor edges ahead of the center of pressure. The Zero pod had no upper shoulder just a flicky flap thing that obviously did not manage wheel wake under varying conditions, and the vortex was draggy, then you had the weak floor performance which had to be made up for with cranking more angle on the wings.

So here you see with the RB22 that RedBull believe those issues will not affect them.

[PlatinumZealot]

DRS

https://i.postimg.cc/W33W48VV/image.png

You mean Y mode?

Please don't kill me, but this is what those sidepods remind me of:
https://www.f1mania.net/wp-content/uplo ... 00x684.jpg

Edit.

Seeing the frontal photos of RB22 now... Yes it does look mostly like that McLaren and not a full zero pod.

Oh well, but the facts still stand that the zero pod was not good for ground effect, but perhaps could make a full comeback in these regs.

[PlatinumZealot]

Can also see the halo inlets which are semicircular

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

What other head-on rb22 shots do you have with enough detail to see a feature like this?


This image shows another point. A startling lack of undercut. Pretty much the only undercut present is the inlet scoop lower lip.
https://i.ibb.co/Xf5GjNJ0/20260126-192901.jpg

I think these are vanity side pods. I'm betting that the undercut will be revealed soon.

I also believe the Mercedes has a "fake" side pod.

[venkyhere]

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

What other head-on rb22 shots do you have with enough detail to see a feature like this?


This image shows another point. A startling lack of undercut. Pretty much the only undercut present is the inlet scoop lower lip.
https://i.ibb.co/Xf5GjNJ0/20260126-192901.jpg

I think these are vanity side pods. I'm betting that the undercut will be revealed soon.

I also believe the Mercedes has a "fake" side pod.

What is the priority ?
playing 'hide-n-seek' with other teams and keeping all cards close to the chest so that others can't 'produce a copy' before mid-season summer break
v/s
collecting real data with the 'real car' for their own benefit in an ultra-comprehensive regulation change ?

[venkyhere]

Can also see the halo inlets which are semicircular

Are those halo inlets or shadows? I can't detect it in other photos.

It’s a shadow I’m pretty sure. Too small to be inlets and it’s not visible in the other frontal shots.

Plus I’m pretty sure legality would have something to say about making an inlet out of the headrest.

If they are not inlets, where does the air enter from, to exit the 'optional' exit just under the 'ROKT' sticker, near to where the halo ends ?