The new Red Bull RB22 made its official debut yesterday in Barcelona during the first day of pre-season testing. After being observed for the first time in the presentation renders, the car finally hit the track, revealing a look completely different from what was previously seen.
The front wing features a simple design and confirms the single central actuator for active aerodynamics. The diveplane on the endplate mandated by regulations is missing: this is in fact a base version of the front wing, intended to be upgraded during the testing phase. The team also confirms a push-rod layout at both the front and rear, in line with trends followed by other teams. While further evolutions in car design are expected, the most attention-grabbing area is undoubtedly the sidepods, where the team has executed extremely refined work.
Tapered sidepods reminiscent of 2021 for maximum efficiency
The air intake above the driver’s head is not the same size as the smaller VCARB, also powered by Ford, but retains an almost circular shape. The spotlight is on the sidepods, characterized by an extreme design.
The sidepods are extremely narrow, exposing the upper anti-intrusion cone, which now acts almost like a flap. While Red Bull’s solution does not reach the extremity seen on the 2022 Mercedes, it closely follows design trends that were common until 2021.
In that season, cars required strongly tapered sidepods for aerodynamic benefit, featuring the classic “Coca-Cola” shape towards the rear. Red Bull has revived this concept on the RB22, integrating it at the rear with an engine cover similar to the one on their 2024 car.
Behind the airbox, there are also two bulges with sloping surfaces, equipped with openings designed to improve ventilation and allow air to escape toward the rear—another solution reminiscent of the ground-effect era. The RB22 also features a slot near the diffuser, a solution first introduced by Red Bull and expected to be adopted by many other teams.
The RB22 seen in the Barcelona tests is not yet the final version, which will only be revealed during the Bahrain tests and then in Melbourne. However, the work done so far is meticulous and suggests that the team is intent on opening a new technical cycle, aiming to start the season once again as a favorite.
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