Tech Analysis: unpacking Red Bull's RB22 Austria upgrade

With a fiercely competitive second-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, relentlessly pushing George Russell's Mercedes all the way to the flag, Max Verstappen delivered Red Bull's most convincing performance of the 2026 season.

Team Principal Laurent Mekies did not mince his words after the race: "We started the season more than a second away from the pace. The Miami package took us to half a second and now we seem to be within the last tenth, certainly within striking range."

The Floor Edge and the Rake Renaissance

When analyzing the latest iteration of the RB22, the most illuminating area of development is the radically redesigned array of slots situated just ahead of the rear tyre. This specific region has become the fiercest aerodynamic battleground up and down the pit lane.

The primary objective here is to keep the airflow traveling through and toward the diffuser perfectly attached, even at increasingly higher rear ride heights. In stark contrast to the heavy ground-effect cars of the previous regulation cycle---which maximized underfloor downforce by running as flat and stiff to the ground as possible---the current flat-bottomed generation generates peak underfloor load when run with significant rake (nose down, tail up).

Running high rake turns the entire underfloor into a massive venturi channel. The air enters through a narrow space at the front, expanding into a larger volume at the rear, which drastically lowers the pressure and accelerates the flow, thereby sucking the car into the tarmac.

Managing 'Tyre Squirt' and Diffuser Stall

However, the limitation of this high-rake philosophy is physics. At low speeds, the rear of the car naturally rises because there is less aerodynamic downforce compressing the rear suspension. When the rear rides high and air speed drops, the airflow inside the diffuser threatens to detach or stall.

Aerodynamicists are constantly fighting to permanently energize the flow around the diffuser. Red Bull's redesigned rear corner slots are designed to intelligently interact with the highly disruptive, turbulent air compressed by the rotation of the rear tyre---a phenomenon known as tyre squirt. By weaponizing these slots to manage tyre squirt, Red Bull ensures the airflow into the diffuser remains robust and consistent. This allows the RB22 to run at steeper rake angles without the risk of an unpredictable aerodynamic stall.

The Sidepod Redesign: Feeding the Beast

Of course, the complex floor slots can only work if they are fed with high-energy air. There is only a finite mass of airflow to manipulate, and accelerating that flow over the top of the floor and around the sidepods is the secret to making the rear-end upgrades sing.

This requirement is the sole driver behind Red Bull's heavily reconfigured sidepod geometry, building upon the decisive development shifts we first saw with their Miami upgrade package.

Air pressure dictates flow direction, and Red Bull has entirely re-evaluated the pressurization spread along the flanks of the RB22. The new sidepod architecture features a far more aggressive, gouged-out undercut at the front, paired with less undercut in the mid-section.

To achieve this extreme front undercut, the team had to introduce a completely new radiator inlet design. This reshaped inlet, combined with the new geometry of the floor edges, perfectly channels high-energy air directly down the Coke-bottle section to relentlessly feed those vital rear corner slots.

Aero-Elastic Trickery at the Rear

The upgrades don't stop at the floor. The rear of the RB22 features subtly reprofiled aerodynamic sheaths encasing the rear suspension arms, working in tandem with entirely new rear wing pylons.

These new pylons are noticeably wider than their predecessors and feature a very distinct, deliberate kink. In the paddock, this is widely interpreted as a clever exploitation of aero-elasticity.

At high speeds on the straights, these pylons are likely designed to flex within the strict, prescribed tolerances of the FIA regulations, shedding precious drag. Because the current cars require higher static ride heights to function optimally, harnessing aero-elasticity has become one of the few remaining avenues to gain a top-speed advantage.

With the Austrian package working exactly as simulated, Red Bull has proven their correlation is point-perfect. As the paddock prepares for the high-speed demands of the British Grand Prix, the RB22 is officially back within striking distance of the front row.