What Red Bull has changed with its latest F1 upgrade at Mexico GP

Red Bull has unleashed its latest Formula 1 upgrade package ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix. 

Fresh off the back of winning two of the last three F1 races, Red Bull is the only front-running team introducing performance updates at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. 

Most teams are adding additional cooling louvres with cooling being a crucial factor at the high-altitude circuit in Mexico, and Red Bull is no different, bringing a reworked engine cover to enhance cooling through the radiators. 

But in terms of performance-related updates, Red Bull will debut a revised sidepod design and floor to sidepod split line. 

This will be attached to the existing sidepod geometry in a bid to improve the flow characteristics below the inlet to the radiator duct to gain local load as well as maintaining stability. 

Red Bull hopes the new parts will boost the competitiveness of its RB22 challenger, which several of its rivals believe has been the benchmark of late after Max Verstappen took dominant victories in Malaysia and Singapore. 

Other than Red Bull, the only other team introducing a performance upgrade is Audi, which has a new rear corner featuring an updated rear brake duct deflector for its R26. 

Heading into the weekend, Verstappen insisted he doesn’t “care” about the fight over second place in the drivers’ championship. 

Four-time world champion Verstappen lies fourth in the standings, five points behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and just six behind Mercedes’ George Russell. 

Verstappen is more concerned about helping Red Bull beat McLaren to third spot in the constructors’ championship. 

Red Bull currently holds the position by virtue of count-back of better results, being tied on 355 points with McLaren and having recorded the same amount of wins this season with two apiece. 

“I don’t really care, because it’s only about first. So for me, I don’t care if I’m second or fifth.

“The only thing that we want to try and achieve is to be P3 in the constructors’. That’s what I think the team wants, so that’s what we’ll try to do.”

The Dutchman added: “[There are] still a lot of things that we want to change, and I hope that it will bring the car a bit more together. That’s been the target already for a long time.

“Of course, we have improved a lot this year, but I think we are nowhere near satisfied enough, so there will still be a decent amount of changes for next year.”