With only one week having passed since the Belgian Grand Prix, the Zandvoort weekend saw F1 teams being able to include only minor changes to their cars in order to better adapt to the characteristics of the Dutch track, without introducing any more significant developments. In essence, all the teams presented high-downforce configurations, with the addition of some solutions related to heat dissipation, considering the lower average speeds compared to Belgium, alongside higher ambient temperatures. Therefore, at a technical level, this race allowed the teams to evaluate their cars on a completely different layout from that of Spa. In addition to a high-load configuration, Red Bull presented a bodywork with increased ventilation holes in the lower rear part, and a less partialized slot at the top, to ensure effective heat dissipation. The high downforce rear wing did not change the balance of the RB18 which, even on a track less suited to the car than Spa, allowed Verstappen to produce a record performance over a single lap in qualifying, with that dominance later confirmed also in terms of race pace. Essentially, the car designed by Adrian Newey has confirmed that it has progressively become an all-round single-seater, with the characteristics of a car that makes maximum efficiency its strong point.
Monza 'perfectly suited' to the RB18
In Monza this weekend, the track seems perfectly suited to the RB18, which will present a dramatically low downforce configuration with the debut of completely new rear wing package. Nonetheless, the power unit seems a strong element to the car’s performance. In Monza, a specific engine mode will be introduced to avoid the phenomenon of ‘clipping’, which refers to the loss of electric power before the end of the straights. A notable example of clipping came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June, where Verstappen was unable to overtake Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari on the 2.2km-long main straight. It is clear that Red Bull will leave nothing to chance in their final push towards both World Championship titles.
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