Red Bull RB22

A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
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bananapeel23
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Joined: 14 Feb 2023, 22:43
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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euv2 wrote:
28 Jan 2026, 22:21
pantherxxx wrote:
28 Jan 2026, 22:17
I just read that comment under a Youtube video. Probably bs tho :D.
Having more downforce than last year's cars combined with the new drag modes would make this the fastest car in f1 history and that is not happening in year 1 of these regs, and the FIA would not have released figures claiming the new car would be a couple secs slower either.
Maybe in quali. Remember that theh are still dealing with a ~30% loss in sustained engine power, which would not be compensated for by the new aero modes.

But I also agree that the downforce numbers won’t be anywhere near 2020 or 2025 levels. These cars will be slower at most tracks, especially in terms of race pace.

cplchanb
cplchanb
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/s/gs5uN48ycI

Apparently theres cooling issues for their powertrain in at least the vcarb team. Is it affecting rb as well and will they need more cooling to their near zeropods?

Emag
Emag
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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cplchanb wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 13:54
https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/s/gs5uN48ycI

Apparently theres cooling issues for their powertrain in at least the vcarb team. Is it affecting rb as well and will they need more cooling to their near zeropods?
There is plenty of cooling going into both. I would aruge it’s actually better in the main RB team because they have much better resources to come up with smarter solutions. In spite of the tighter body and smaller sidepods.

The vcarb just looks “bad” because the airbox inlet is huge. The actual centerline behind it, its not crazy enormous when compared to some other cars we have seen. And same goes for RedBull.

I don’t know where they got this information from though. No other source is reporting such problems as of this moment.
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Andi76
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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basti313 wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:43
TeamKoolGreen wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:11
It is the closest thing to a Mercedes zeropod
From what I can see, it is a zeropod. Once there are better pictures we need to compare the width around the sidepods, from what I can see this is basically the same as the cars are less wide.

I wonder if the approach here is like in 2014....go as aggressive as possible and widen up if needed?
Sorry, its definetely not a "zeropod". Not even close

Image

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venkyhere
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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Andi76 wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 14:05
basti313 wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:43
TeamKoolGreen wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:11
It is the closest thing to a Mercedes zeropod
From what I can see, it is a zeropod. Once there are better pictures we need to compare the width around the sidepods, from what I can see this is basically the same as the cars are less wide.

I wonder if the approach here is like in 2014....go as aggressive as possible and widen up if needed?
Sorry, its definetely not a "zeropod". Not even close

https://postimg.cc/4mHgnt4T
Bingo.
Rather than a 'undercut region' , It's more of a 'turning wall' to the attached air coming from the sides of the nose. That means 'smaller pressure build up'** on the outer walls of the driver cockpit, which in turn means less drag.

** just enough pressure to y-direction feed the 'venetian blind' bargeboard as the incoming air 'turns'.

matteosc
matteosc
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Joined: 11 Sep 2012, 17:07

Re: Red Bull RB22

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Andi76 wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 14:05
basti313 wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:43
TeamKoolGreen wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:11
It is the closest thing to a Mercedes zeropod
From what I can see, it is a zeropod. Once there are better pictures we need to compare the width around the sidepods, from what I can see this is basically the same as the cars are less wide.

I wonder if the approach here is like in 2014....go as aggressive as possible and widen up if needed?
Sorry, its definetely not a "zeropod". Not even close

https://postimg.cc/4mHgnt4T
Could it be that the sidepodes are "simply" placed as back as possible, exposing the side cone? Maybe they are doing that to create some outwash despite the prescribed badgeboards.

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venkyhere
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Joined: 10 Feb 2024, 06:17

Re: Red Bull RB22

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matteosc wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 17:15
Andi76 wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 14:05
basti313 wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:43

From what I can see, it is a zeropod. Once there are better pictures we need to compare the width around the sidepods, from what I can see this is basically the same as the cars are less wide.

I wonder if the approach here is like in 2014....go as aggressive as possible and widen up if needed?
Sorry, its definetely not a "zeropod". Not even close

https://postimg.cc/4mHgnt4T
Could it be that the sidepodes are "simply" placed as back as possible, exposing the side cone? Maybe they are doing that to create some outwash despite the prescribed badgeboards.
I perceive it the 'other way around'. The sidepods are 'as forward as possible' in the RB22 compared to the other cars we have seen so far. Imagine the typical sidepod from 2025, chop off the leading half of it, bring the remaining half 'forward' and put a 'rounded slab' in the region wherever some of the undercut remains, to make it no-undercut. So we have a sidepod where it tapers off into the body/floor far ahead in the y-direction, than others. That's how I see it.

GrizzleBoy
GrizzleBoy
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Joined: 05 Mar 2012, 04:06

Re: Red Bull RB22

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Andi76 wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 14:05
basti313 wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:43
TeamKoolGreen wrote:
26 Jan 2026, 15:11
It is the closest thing to a Mercedes zeropod
From what I can see, it is a zeropod. Once there are better pictures we need to compare the width around the sidepods, from what I can see this is basically the same as the cars are less wide.

I wonder if the approach here is like in 2014....go as aggressive as possible and widen up if needed?
Sorry, its definetely not a "zeropod". Not even close

https://postimg.cc/4mHgnt4T
Wow have not seen that sidepod shape since Amber coanda exhaust times is it?

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AR3-GP
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Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Red Bull RB22

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GrizzleBoy wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 18:55
Andi76 wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 14:05
Sorry, its definetely not a "zeropod". Not even close

Image
Wow have not seen that sidepod shape since Amber coanda exhaust times is it?
It looks like a tear drop

Image
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Owen.C93
Owen.C93
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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Let’s not start the red bull tear drop discussion again #-o
Motorsport Graduate in search of team experience ;)

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AR3-GP
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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Twist angle on the bargeboard stay.
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organic
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Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: Red Bull RB22

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AR3-GP wrote:
29 Jan 2026, 21:45
Twist angle on the bargeboard stay.
https://i.postimg.cc/vZKctzdH/image.png
Twist plus angled. I expected this direction once I saw Ferraris angled stay

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AR3-GP
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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The launch render from mid-january featured a thin sidepod shape with large undercut which is quite similar to what we have seen from Mclaren/Aston Martin. So they have evaluated this at some point and decided to be unconventional. They are the only team that has developed a no-undercut concept (Williams unknown). I would like to understand the purpose.

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Last edited by AR3-GP on 30 Jan 2026, 08:47, edited 2 times in total.
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f1isgood
f1isgood
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Re: Red Bull RB22

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Maybe we will see the undercut return later. Maybe they just didn't produce it yet. To me this current sidepod looks like 2022 sidepods version 1 used before Day 3 Bahrain

Or maybe this is their evolution and the render is from the past.
The FIA folds on a royal flush.

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Gridlock
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Joined: 27 Jan 2012, 04:14

Re: Red Bull RB22

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I still feel like the actual undercut may be 'blanked off' with a massive vanity panel here, although I appreciate that is far from ideal for testing and data. It just looks like everything under ORACLE is.. too smooth and bulbous? What would be in there? Is it for outwash? Anyway Bahrain will be fascinating.

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