Red Bull Racing is not slowing down its development efforts and continues to work intensively on improving the RB21, aiming to close the technical gap to McLaren and increase pressure on the papaya-coloured cars from Woking. The team, led by Team Principal Christian Horner, has brought a revised version of the car’s floor to Silverstone, building on the update package that first appeared at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen, reigning three-time Formula 1 World Champion, has made it clear that he does not believe the issues experienced during qualifying at the Red Bull Ring were caused by the new components. The Dutchman is eager to evaluate the updated parts under full race conditions and to assess their real impact on performance.
The Silverstone floor upgrade
Red Bull Racing introduced the updated floor across two consecutive race weekends — Austria and now Silverstone. The most significant change first seen in Styria affected the outermost knife-edge section of the floor, where an air-blowing slot was added between the upper and lower surfaces of the floor. With this modification, Red Bull appears to have taken a step back from McLaren’s aerodynamic philosophy, instead reviving a concept used by several other teams, including Ferrari.
For the British Grand Prix, further adjustments have been made, particularly around the airflow management structures at the entrance of the Venturi tunnels. One noticeable alteration is that the second inner vane — the one extending upward — is now more aggressively angled outward. This aerodynamic deflector works in conjunction with new sculpting along the upper surface of the floor. A second, more pronounced step is visible near the lower lateral anti-intrusion cone, enhancing the aerodynamic interaction and potentially improving the flow structure underneath the car.
A crucial test for Red Bull’s upgrades
Max Verstappen’s race in Austria was cut short after just three corners due to contact with Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, caused by a braking lock-up from the young Italian at Turn 3. Despite the early retirement, Verstappen had already raised concerns over the RB21’s balance throughout the weekend — but he was quick to clarify that he did not attribute the performance issues to the new floor elements: “I don’t think the updates caused all of this, and I don’t believe we’ve suddenly taken a step backwards.”
This makes the British Grand Prix at Silverstone a critical test for the effectiveness of the latest upgrades. With a layout that features a variety of fast, sweeping corners, the circuit offers an ideal environment to evaluate aerodynamic performance and gather meaningful data on high-speed handling. It presents Red Bull with an opportunity to validate the new floor configuration in real-world conditions.
However, Red Bull’s competitors are not standing still. McLaren, currently one of the most consistent and competitive teams on the grid, also introduced a new floor during Free Practice 1 at Silverstone. According to Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown, this will not be the final development step for the MCL39 this season — suggesting an intense technical battle is unfolding at the top of the field.
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