Racing Bulls is just five points away from the sixth spot in the Constructors’ Championship, currently held by Alpine, but more importantly, they are only two points behind Haas. The Faenza-based team has been locked in an intense battle with Haas throughout the year, both on and off the track, with a constant back-and-forth in development. During the recent triple-header of overseas races, both teams introduced updates that appear to be meeting expectations.
October Updates
At the Austin Grand Prix, Racing Bulls introduced a new floor—their sixth specification of the season, including the launch version—less than two months after debuting the previous iteration at Monza. The changes to the floor focused on the Venturi channels, with the roof of the inlet section now appearing more uniform, maintaining a high profile across its width until it meets the chassis. Racing Bulls has essentially reverted to its earlier design, abandoning the geometry introduced in Miami that saw the roof drop near the monocoque. Modifying the Venturi channels is always a significant change, potentially as rewarding as it is risky.
In parallel, the team optimized the underlying flow diverters, aiming for a better balance between the energy of the airflows directed towards the diffuser and the extraction process along the floor edges to generate downforce at the car’s center. This adjustment also allowed for a bolder redesign of the outer floor edge. The central raised section was extended, with the addition of a fourth vortex generator to preserve airflow energy and shield the floor from external turbulence. Racing Bulls tested two slightly different versions, trying a variant in Mexico with distinct side flap support dimensions compared to the Austin version.
Targeting Sixth Place
The best news for the team is that the updates have not compromised the balance or drivability of the VCARB01. The new floor remained on the car throughout the triple-header in Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo. This is no small feat in the ground-effect era, especially considering that during the summer, Racing Bulls had to abandon the Barcelona package due to excessive side effects impacting drivability and setup.
In its new configuration, Racing Bulls scored 8 points in Brazil, thanks to Yuki Tsunoda’s 7th-place finish and Liam Lawson’s 9th. The haul could have been even greater if not for the unfortunate timing of the Safety Car and subsequent red flag. However, given the atypical conditions of the Brazilian race, the two points Liam Lawson earned in Austin—during a Sprint-format weekend—are a more telling indicator.
Racing Bulls’ results are contrasted by Haas, which, in its updated configuration, scored an impressive 15 points across the Texas and Mexico races. The final showdown will now unfold over the three remaining events in Las Vegas, Lusail, and Abu Dhabi, with a lucrative multi-million-dollar prize on the line to help fund the 2026 Formula One project.
Leave a Reply