Red Bull brings brand new cooling upgrades in Mexico City

Red Bull has brought a revised engine cover and sidepod to the Mexico City Grand Prix, making it the only front-running team to introduce upgrades for this weekend’s race.

The changes, recorded in the FIA’s car presentation documents, target cooling demands at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez while seeking small aerodynamic gains. The engine cover has a larger exit area, created by extending existing louvres and adding optional ones farther outboard, to help restore airflow through the radiators.

Red Bull’s revised bodywork targets cooling and airflow

The new sidepod design features an adjusted split line to match a revised floor surface behind the outer fence. Red Bull’s stated aim is to improve heat rejection while recovering small aerodynamic gains.

The venue’s altitude makes cooling a central challenge. At more than 2,200 metres above sea level, Mexico City has around 20 to 25 per cent less ambient air density than sea-level circuits. That significantly reduces the mass of air flowing through radiators and heat exchangers.

The thinner air also changes the trade-off for teams: larger cooling openings create less aerodynamic drag than they would at other venues. That makes Mexico City one of the rare opportunities to open up bodywork without the same lap-time penalty.

The extreme conditions are set to be an especially demanding test under the new power unit regulations. The upgrade is one part of a wider weekend story for Red Bull, alongside the expected change to Verstappen’s car in FP1. Our Mexico City weather coverage follows another aspect of the event.

Other teams also bring Mexico-specific parts

Red Bull is the only front-running team with upgrades, but it is not the only constructor introducing new parts. Audi, Alpine, Ferrari, McLaren and Racing Bulls have also registered updates for the event.

Audi has added an upgraded rear brake duct deflector, while Alpine’s change is a new exhaust tailpipe. Ferrari, McLaren and Racing Bulls are the three teams specifically identified as introducing parts for Mexico City’s demands.

The contrast underlines the unusual engineering challenge posed by the circuit: teams must manage reduced airflow for cooling while deciding how much bodywork to open up, with a smaller aerodynamic penalty than at lower-altitude venues.