Skip to content
https://shop.fervogear.com/cart
Red Bull Reveal Huge Austrian GP Upgrade Amid Intense Development Race
Highlights
- Red Bull introduces major RB22 upgrade for Austrian Grand Prix
- Upgrades focus on floor, rear suspension, and exhaust reliability
- Mercedes adds new front suspension and improved engine cover
- Ferrari tests floor and rear tail adjustments during free practice
- McLaren deploys rear brake duct and ‘Macarena’ rear wing
- Teams prepare for high heat and durability challenges in Austria
Red Bull brings a significant RB22 upgrade to the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, seeking a reset after one podium in seven races at its home event.
The package targets lap time and drivability, reflecting intensifying development among the frontrunners under the cost cap.
The floor is the centrepiece, with reworked surface geometry and updated floor-edge louvres to better control sealing and vortex strength through medium- and high-speed corners.
Rear-end changes include revised suspension members and updated rear-wing pylon profiles. Red Bull also refines the exhaust tailpipe, sidepod inlet, and engine cover to bolster reliability.
Red Bull’s largest update centres on a revised floor, complemented by rear-end changes aimed at stability and reliability.
The timing is strategic. The Ring’s short lap and aggressive kerbs magnify floor performance, traction sensitivity, and ride control, exposing strengths and weaknesses quickly in practice and qualifying.
Against that push, Mercedes introduces a new front suspension layout and an improved engine cover. The goals are stability in heat and stronger cooling efficiency.
Those revisions anticipate higher ambient temperatures forecast for Spielberg, which typically punish tyre temperatures and power-unit cooling margins over long runs.
Mercedes targets cooling and consistency with a new front suspension and reworked engine cover for expected heat in Spielberg.
Ferrari builds on Barcelona momentum with free-practice test items. The list includes floor updates, a revised rear vertical tail, and alterations to the mirror stay.
A tweaked front-wing endplate complements parts introduced two weeks ago, supporting evaluations of balance range and aero efficiency for Austria’s fast changes of direction.
McLaren focuses on the car’s rear, updating the rear brake duct and trialling its so-called ‘Macarena’ rear wing to study drag-downforce trade-offs.
That wing is unlikely to appear in qualifying or the race, indicating a correlation exercise rather than a firm direction for the current package.
Ferrari and McLaren prioritise data gathering, running FP test items and evaluation-spec rear wings before committing to race usage.
Under the cost cap, teams stagger updates to maximise wind-tunnel and CFD learnings. Reliability-led changes also protect development mileage across a demanding summer schedule.
For Red Bull, the priority is regaining control at home after a difficult opening phase. For driver insight, see Max Verstappen’s perspective on the package as the weekend unfolds.
The competitive picture will be clear once long-run data arrives on Friday. For the wider weekend context, follow our Austrian Grand Prix build-up coverage throughout the week.
Visual Summary
Red Bull Fires Back at Home
Biggest upgrade of the season
as a development war heats up in Austria
as a development war heats up in Austria
1
Podium in 7 Rounds
Major Floor & Rear Updates
Upgrade Intensity This Weekend
Who Will Rise Fastest?
All eyes are on the Red Bull Ring as fresh upgrades face the ultimate heat test.
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.
