The Red Bull Racing team, based in Milton Keynes, brought a significantly more aggressive high-downforce front wing specifically for Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix, aiming to reduce the persistent understeer affecting the RB21. This aerodynamic imbalance has notably compromised the Dutch driver’s ability to properly rotate the car into corners. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda had to make do with older components due to a shortage of available spare parts, once again highlighting the disparity in technical support between the two Red Bull drivers.
The first free practice session (FP1) at the Hungaroring did not go as planned for Max Verstappen. The reigning world champion ended the session in a disappointing ninth place, expressing clear dissatisfaction with the car’s excessive understeer, which continues to limit the full performance potential of the RB21 on twisty circuits like the Hungarian track.
In an effort to address these ongoing issues, Red Bull opted for a heavily loaded aerodynamic setup—reportedly even more extreme than the configuration used during the Monaco Grand Prix, which is widely known for its maximum downforce requirements. This choice indicates just how far the team is willing to go to restore balance and confidence for their lead driver.
Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 world champion, had an intense exchange with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase—who returned to the garage after missing his second race of the season in Belgium. Verstappen was particularly frustrated not just by the large gap of nearly nine tenths to the McLaren cars, but even more so by the 0.25-second deficit to the Racing Bulls RB01 driven by rookie Isack Hadjar. The Faenza-based team seems to be experiencing fewer issues with their setup on the technical and low-speed Hungarian circuit, which could force Red Bull into making changes to the RB21 before qualifying.
The new front wing introduced by Red Bull was tailor-made for the Hungarian Grand Prix. One of its most visible modifications is the extended final flap, which features a prominent addition of carbon fiber material. This extra section was bonded onto the wing to increase the chord length, designed to better balance the high-downforce rear wing that was previously used successfully in Monte Carlo.
Red Bull also introduced changes to the front brake ducts. The team modified the corners of the front wing to increase airflow through the brake cooling inlets. Due to the low average speeds at the Hungaroring, enhanced brake cooling is essential to prevent overheating and ensure consistent stopping performance throughout the race weekend.
Interestingly, Max Verstappen was the only Red Bull driver granted access to this newly developed front wing. Yuki Tsunoda, once again, had to rely on previous-generation components. In his case, the team reused the front wing from the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, with only a small aerodynamic adjustment: the addition of a simple nolder to slightly enhance performance. This unequal distribution of upgrades further highlights the gap in development priority between the lead Red Bull driver and his teammate.
As Red Bull continues to seek solutions for the understeer that has been plaguing Verstappen’s RB21, the effectiveness of these latest updates will be closely monitored throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. If the results fall short of expectations, additional setup or aerodynamic revisions may be necessary to keep the Dutch driver in the fight at the front.
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