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.
User avatar
organic
1141
Joined: 08 Jan 2022, 02:24
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

lio007 wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 23:36
Badger wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 23:21
lio007 wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 23:10


It's not dramatically different.
Not sure I agree with you there. There was zero undercut before and now it has quite a significant undercut, more than I expected it to have. It doesn't look as dramatic as some of the other undercuts, but that's mostly because of RB's narrower sidepods. This change will make a big difference to how the air travels towards the rear of the car.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HBcHNVwW0AI ... name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HBcHNUlW8AA ... me=900x900
I personally judge an undercut by the G-line or how much floor is visible. And based on that criteria it's not that different. For sure the flow architecture has changed...but I'm sure a real F1-engineer might judge it differently.
The floor edge curls upwards outboard, so the relative amount of floor upper surface planform exposed by a differing SP geometry is in my opinion, very difficult to judge from most angles

Badger
Badger
30
Joined: 22 Sep 2025, 17:00

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

organic wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 23:58
lio007 wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 23:36
Badger wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 23:21

Not sure I agree with you there. There was zero undercut before and now it has quite a significant undercut, more than I expected it to have. It doesn't look as dramatic as some of the other undercuts, but that's mostly because of RB's narrower sidepods. This change will make a big difference to how the air travels towards the rear of the car.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HBcHNVwW0AI ... name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HBcHNUlW8AA ... me=900x900
I personally judge an undercut by the G-line or how much floor is visible. And based on that criteria it's not that different. For sure the flow architecture has changed...but I'm sure a real F1-engineer might judge it differently.
The floor edge curls upwards outboard, so the relative amount of floor upper surface planform exposed by a differing SP geometry is in my opinion, very difficult to judge from most angles
Image
Image

User avatar
AR3-GP
550
Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

AR3-GP wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 20:35
Seems like vortex generators to increase heat transfer.

Image
Useful to control how the flow swirls between the cake tin and the wheel rim. Mclaren has demonstrated interest in this area:
Image
Beware of T-Rex

User avatar
AR3-GP
550
Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

marcel171281 wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 09:29
Has anyone else noticed how the top of the monocoque sweeps down after the antenna's toward the cockpit? Looks way more extreme than other cars.
My theory is that they are trying to raise the monocoque up as high as possible in order to make more space behind the front wing and in front of the bib. It needs a minimum cross section in order to pass the crash test, so they can't just lift the bottom without raising the top.

Image
Beware of T-Rex

User avatar
AR3-GP
550
Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

Image
Image
Beware of T-Rex

User avatar
organic
1141
Joined: 08 Jan 2022, 02:24
Location: Cambridge, UK

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

AR3-GP wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 07:35
marcel171281 wrote:
18 Feb 2026, 09:29
Has anyone else noticed how the top of the monocoque sweeps down after the antenna's toward the cockpit? Looks way more extreme than other cars.
My theory is that they are trying to raise the monocoque up as high as possible in order to make more space behind the front wing and in front of the bib. It needs a minimum cross section in order to pass the crash test, so they can't just lift the bottom without raising the top.

https://i.postimg.cc/kgNTrVBT/image.png
Or just to have the entire top surface from cockpit rearwards downwashing
Good view of what's left of the SP/floor edge overhang too
What's the black element behind the FW in the first image? If red bull had a vertical fin under the main plane like alpine's scythe then I'd say that but they didn't yesterday
Last edited by organic on 19 Feb 2026, 09:41, edited 3 times in total.

User avatar
AR3-GP
550
Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

Back to old front wing on day 2.
Image
Beware of T-Rex

Cassius
Cassius
8
Joined: 23 Sep 2019, 11:54

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

Similar run program as Hadjar. Comparison of the two wings on low fuel.

euv2
euv2
10
Joined: 14 Mar 2025, 09:34

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

AR3-GP wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 09:36
Back to old front wing on day 2.
https://i.postimg.cc/PqxqwRvv/image.png
Just set the cars fastest lap of the tests with the new front wing.

User avatar
AR3-GP
550
Joined: 06 Jul 2021, 01:22

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

euv2 wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 09:50
AR3-GP wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 09:36
Back to old front wing on day 2.
https://i.postimg.cc/PqxqwRvv/image.png
Just set the cars fastest lap of the tests with the new front wing.
and tons of flow viz.
Beware of T-Rex

User avatar
SiLo
144
Joined: 25 Jul 2010, 19:09

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

The overhang on the floor is actually quite small now, maybe they moved away from it a bit as it didn't gain them as much performance as they thought?
Felipe Baby!

User avatar
lio007
327
Joined: 28 Jan 2013, 23:03
Location: Austria

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

Do you think RBR has more development potential or lets say has more to play with in terms of bodywork?
Compared to Aston or McLaren that have already so little bodywork, RBR has way more e.g. sidepod volume, where shape and geometry can be adjusted.

McFAN
McFAN
21
Joined: 21 Feb 2020, 13:53

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

lio007 wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 13:43
Do you think RBR has more development potential or lets say has more to play with in terms of bodywork?
Compared to Aston or McLaren that have already so little bodywork, RBR has way more e.g. sidepod volume, where shape and geometry can be adjusted.
the scope for bodywork changes is somewhat dictated by the layout of internals obviously.

vorticism
vorticism
443
Joined: 01 Mar 2022, 20:20
Location: YooEssay

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

The pyramid-shaped castellations on the inside of their rear wheel are rather striking to see. They're not connected to the hub--strictly free-standing knobs. Those can provide structure in the sense of an truss bridge versus an arch bridge, but you have to assume an aero funtion as well, although...

10.7.2 k. Features intended to influence the heat transfer characteristics of the Wheel Rim are not
permitted. F1 Teams are required to submit designs to the FIA for approval.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Farnborough
Farnborough
137
Joined: 18 Mar 2023, 14:15

Re: Red Bull RB22

Post

vorticism wrote:
19 Feb 2026, 14:56
The pyramid-shaped castellations on the inside of their rear wheel are rather striking to see. They're not connected to the hub--strictly free-standing knobs. Those can provide structure in the sense of an truss bridge versus an arch bridge, but you have to assume an aero funtion as well, although...

10.7.2 k. Features intended to influence the heat transfer characteristics of the Wheel Rim are not
permitted. F1 Teams are required to submit designs to the FIA for approval.
Are they on the "rim" though ? :D with clear definition of hub, spoke, rim carrying different function, is that problematic for the written FIA wording again ?

Obviously in close proximity to static component, could bring speculation of torque converter effect in fluid dynamic consideration.

Extra mass will always hold extra heat, whatever the rules though. Increase in centrifugal effect too, when both compared to no such material there.

Interesting certainly.