Racing Bulls radical secrets revealed after striking Imola shakedown

On Tuesday, Racing Bulls took to the track for an initial shakedown of its VCARB03 ahead of an official filming day on Wednesday. 

The first outing of the new machine, at a wet Imola, revealed many differences compared to the digital renders released during the launch event in Detroit. 

Starting with the nose, it still appears as square as in the renderings, but it actually descends almost to the mainplane of the front wing, thus presenting a lower nose cone profile, which is quite different to the renders.

The front-wing itself has a different profile, not so much in terms of the mainplane, but in terms of the two flaps, which are connected to the active aerodynamic mechanisms, enclosed in vertical fairings. 

The suspension is pushrod at both the front and the rear, but there are differences elsewhere, with the sidepod undercut practically disappearing, except just below the inlets. 

This creates a sidepod profile similar to Red Bull's 2021 car.

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Radical engine air-intake

But perhaps the most striking aspect of the Racing Bulls car on-track was the shape of the engine airbox and its extremely wide front section. It is an isosceles trapezoid of truly unusual dimensions.

Considering its surface area, it can easily be argued that it is almost double that of a more standard air intake, and highlights the placement of the radiators and heat exchanges, which justify the extremely tapered profile of the sides.

In practice, the size of it hints at a series of internal ducts which are much more complex than its division into three sections would initially suggest. 

It is possible that this large air intake actually incorporates additional ducts, as in the case of the 2024 RB20, which had two on either side of the cockpit.

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A closer Red Bull link than ever before

The overall design of the car appears to be less traditional than one might initially believe, at first glance, highlighting how the rear of the sidepods, like the bargeboards in front of them, are the most strategic in terms of aerodynamic development.

It is also obvious to deduce that the power unit developed by RBPT and Ford was designed with an unconventional installation in mind, one which is fully functional to the overall concept and aerodynamic development of the car.

In short, it seems that RBPT has not chosen a conservative route for its debut as a power unit manufacturer and is gambling directly on performance and extreme concepts right from the start.

The synergy with Red Bull could also serve to speed up the understanding of the new cars, both in terms of vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics, for both teams.