The Milton Keynes-based squad has been dominant this year, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez winning all 10 races so far.
Its success has come despite it steering clear of the kind of major overhaul that rivals like Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren have unleashed on their 2023 challenges.
Although up until now Red Bull’s developments were quite steady paced, it has made a concerted effort for the Hungarian GP to bring improved performance.
The team has made modifications to five different areas of its car. These are:
- An enlarged front brake duct exit to cope with the greater brake energy and low average speed of the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit.
- An enlarged rear brake duct exit with winglets to add more downforce and improve airflow suited to the specific demands of the Hungaroring.
- A broader and shallower sidepod inlet to improve the pressure at the entry to the radiator duct and therefore the cooling efficiency ahead of one of the more difficult circuits for car cooling.
- A wider sidepod extending to the rear suspension forward legs in response to the changed inlet that revised the path of exit airflow.
- A revised split line on the sidepod and floor edge detail to help better manipulate airflow upstream.
Speaking ahead of the Hungarian GP, world championship leader Max Verstappen was hopeful of the gains that the changes would bring.
“We have a couple of upgrades this weekend,” he said. “Hopefully they will do what we expect them to do so we can find extra performance for the upcoming races.”
Mercedes revisions
Red Bull is not alone in bringing changes, with Mercedes also bringing some revisions to its car.
The W14 has a tweaked front wing endplate diveplane to boost airflow around the front tyre, which helps improve flow to the rear of the car.
The inboard front suspension has a reduced camber to improve airflow along the chassis side and on to the front of the floor, which should increase downforce.
Mercedes has also increased the cutout on the tip of its rear wing to increase the mass flow underneath – which should increase downforce.
