At the Dutch Grand Prix, Red Bull introduced a small update for their home race: a revised version of the front wing designed to provide more downforce for the RB21. This solution is necessary, as balancing the Austrian team’s car is always a complex task. Finding an optimal baseline setup is rarely straightforward, and on circuits like Zandvoort, the update could prove useful. Did it work yesterday? The answer is mixed.
The RB21’s problems are hard to fix
Red Bull has continued to bring incremental updates to the RB21, often targeting specific tracks. In this case, the modification was designed to adapt the car to Zandvoort. Back in July, long-time Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko had hinted at upgrades that would improve the car’s performance.
Recent months have seen several updates, such as changes to the sidepod inlets, effectively copying the Ferrari SF-25 design. Later, another tweak was made to the car’s floor to generate even more downforce. Now, at Zandvoort, a minor front wing adjustment addresses precisely the handling issues that have been discussed for weeks.
Red Bull has an inherent lack of rotation, with noticeable understeer at medium and high speeds. This has been a persistent issue throughout the season, frustrating four-time world champion Max Verstappen. By this stage of the championship, the problem can almost be considered chronic. During race weekends, Verstappen frequently complains over the radio about the front end lacking performance.
For this reason, he requests his Italian engineer, Giampiero Lambiase, to increase the front wing’s angle of attack. The idea is to adjust the car and use additional vertical downforce to counteract the harmful effects, regardless of the track. However, this type of solution has rarely worked, providing inaccurate feedback in terms of handling.
In other words, simply adding more front downforce through what engineers call “installed load” has not been effective. For this reason, Red Bull, taking advantage of the characteristics of this track, decided to bring an update to the front wing. Yesterday, in the pit lane, the new specification was observed and photographed.
The new Red Bull front wing
In practice, the engineering team led by French technical director Pierre Waché increased the chord of the front wing flaps. This change makes variations in the wing’s incidence more significant than before. The goal is clear: to reduce as much as possible the understeer affecting the car and help the drivers exploit its potential.
It is no coincidence that this modification arrives at Zandvoort. The circuit heavily challenges the front axle, and Red Bull anticipated that a little extra downforce would be beneficial here. During yesterday afternoon’s second free practice session, the RB21 showed improved front-end behavior compared to the Ferrari SF-25. This improvement is real.
However, as FP3 approaches, it is evident that the solution has not completely solved the problem. The car still tends to understeer, limiting its potential and preventing Max Verstappen from fully using his talent. That said, improvements are still possible, considering the Austrian team’s ability to fine-tune the car after a challenging Friday.
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