Red Bull unleash latest upgrade as F1 development war set for extreme test

Red Bull is the only front-running team to bring upgrades to the Mexico City Grand Prix, submitting an upgraded engine cover and revised sidepod for this weekend's round at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

The Milton Keynes-based squad has registered a reworked engine cover and new sidepod design, according to the FIA's car presentation documents.

Red Bull's new engine cover features an increased exit area to recover cooling mass flow through the radiators, achieved by extending the area of the existing louvres and adding optional louvres further outboard.

As for the new cooling sidepod design, the sidepod itself carries an adapted split line to match a revised floor surface behind the outer fence, aimed at recovering small aerodynamic gains while improving heat rejection.

Cooling is at a premium in Mexico City. Sitting more than 2,200 metres above sea level, the circuit exposes cars to around 20 to 25 per cent less ambient air density than at sea-level venues, drastically cutting the mass airflow through radiators and heat exchangers.

That thinner air also means larger cooling cutouts carry less of an aerodynamic drag penalty than they would elsewhere on the calendar, making the altitude race one of the few windows where teams can justify opening up bodywork without a lap-time trade-off.

The altitude in Mexico City is one of the most extreme tests on the F1 calendar, even more so with the new power unit regulations.

Audi has introduced an upgraded rear brake duct deflector, while Alpine has a new exhaust tailpipe. Ferrari, McLaren and Racing Bulls are the only three teams to introduce parts specific to Mexico City's demands.