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Red Bull Set for Major RB22 Upgrade to Fix Critical Issue
Highlights
- Red Bull Racing upgrades RB22 to reduce excess car weight
- RB22 was 6-13kg above 768kg minimum at early 2026 tests
- New sidepod design and underbody changes aim to cut weight
- Weight reduction expected to improve handling and tyre management
- Energy efficiency gains may allow drivers to push harder
- Next development phase crucial for 2026 Formula 1 season
Red Bull Racing prepares a significant RB22 weight‑reduction upgrade, targeting a persistent excess over the 2026 minimum mass. The aim is straightforward: recapture performance compromised by carrying unnecessary kilograms.
The overweight stems from increased electric power demands and largely unchanged battery volume, colliding with a new 768kg limit. That engineering trade-off has caught several teams, Red Bull included.
Early Barcelona and Bahrain running indicated the RB22 was 10–13kg above minimum. Recent estimates place it 6–8kg over, despite iterative tweaks since pre-season.
Red Bull’s revised sidepods now slope rearwards with a pronounced upper channel. Underbody changes focus on trimmed ducting and repackaged hardware to reduce mass while smoothing local flow structures.
Early tests indicated the RB22 was 10–13kg overweight.
The next floor package and redesigned components are intended to shed the remaining kilos. Engineers are pursuing thinner-gauge materials where feasible, without undermining stiffness or reliability margins.
Losing weight broadens the car’s setup window and should sharpen direction changes. It also reduces suspension compromises, a point echoed in Red Bull’s recent upgrade analysis.
Tyre management stands to gain. Lower loads in braking and corners reduce thermal peaks, promoting more consistent stints and potentially smoothing degradation profiles over long runs.
The 2026 minimum weight is 768kg, tightening packaging margins across the grid.
Energy use should improve too. A lighter car needs less energy on the straights, enabling more flexible deploy patterns so Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar can attack when opportunities arise.
The Milton Keynes group remains confident the RB22 can approach the target weight soon. That progression underpins the squad’s stated 2026 season goals and its broader competitive roadmap.
Current estimates place the RB22 6–8kg over minimum, with a floor update pending.
Regulatory dialogue continues in the background, with a lodged FIA appeal. Any clarification could subtly shape future packaging and weight-reduction priorities.
Visual Summary
+13kg
Target: 0kg
New rear-sloping sidepod design trims weight
Redesigned underbody sheds internal mass
Thinner, stronger materials
RB22 Weight Loss Journey
Lighter, faster, more agile RB22 coming soon!
⚖️
Perfect weight
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Faster laps
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Better energy use
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Longer tyre life
Every gram counts.
Will Red Bull’s weight drop put them back on top for 2026?
Will Red Bull’s weight drop put them back on top for 2026?
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
