Red Bull pinch Ferrari innovation as RB22 reaches major milestone

Red Bull has arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix, one of its two home races in F1, with a significantly revised version of the RB22, and the package on show is extensive enough to demand serious attention.

The most immediately visible changes concern the sidepod inlets, which have been reshaped along their profile to improve internal airflow management.

The revised geometry is designed to alter pressure distribution within the cooling channels, optimising the fluid dynamics through the car's internals.

Given the circuit characteristics and the high ambient temperatures expected, Red Bull has also fitted a series of additional heat dissipation louvres at the engine cover, a straightforward but necessary concession to the conditions.

The floor has received attention in two distinct areas. The leading edge has been revised, as has the lateral bodywork flanking it, with the aim of managing external turbulence more effectively.

At the rear of the car, micro-aerodynamic detailing around the gearbox fairing and rear suspension has also been refined, with engineers at Milton Keynes leaving very little untouched across the package.

FTM profile interpretation and weight reduction

Perhaps the most intriguing element of the update is Red Bull's interpretation of the FTM (Flick Tail Mode) profile, positioned immediately behind the exhaust exit.

This is, of course, a concept first introduced by Ferrari and subsequently adopted in various forms by other teams on the grid.

Its purpose is well established: to enhance the efficiency of the rear wing's main plane by influencing the airflow exiting the diffuser region.

That Red Bull has now committed its own interpretation to the RB22 is a telling sign of the concept's effectiveness, and the precise execution of their solution will be one of the more closely studied elements of the car this weekend.

Beyond the aerodynamic and mechanical revisions, there is a detail that underlines just how comprehensive this development programme has been.

According to sources, the updated RB22 has now reached the minimum weight limit stipulated by the regulations, a significant achievement and one that reflects the cumulative weight savings achieved across the various new components.

It would be a mischaracterisation to label this a 'B-spec' RB22. The underlying concept and base philosophy of the car have not changed.

What the engineers in Milton Keynes have done instead is identify and methodically resolve a broad spread of weaknesses, both large and small, that were present in the earlier specification.

This is refinement rather than reinvention, but the scope of it is considerable, addressing problem areas across virtually every department of the car, including the persistent overweight issue that had been a constraint throughout the early part of the season.

Whether the circuit will validate the work done in the factory is now the only question that remains to be answered.