Red Bull’s updates in Saudi Arabia are limited, mostly aimed at reliability and small aerodynamic tweaks to the beam wing, seeking a balance between the downforce needed in the first sector—full of high-speed corners—and low drag on the long straights of the other sectors.
These are minor updates, but they confirm a trend already observed elsewhere, especially regarding reliability. It’s no secret that Red Bull has been working on cooling for years to counter the Honda Power Unit’s tendency to overheat, and the same approach was taken in Saudi Arabia.
At the Jeddah circuit, where ambient temperatures during FP1 approached 30°C with humidity levels over 70%, the Milton Keynes-based team implemented solutions to help the Honda engine breathe. That’s why Red Bull not only opened gill-like vents along the car’s bodywork, but also introduced a wider rear engine cover to increase hot air extraction from the back of the car.
This measure to cope with the Saudi heat coincided with the installation of a nearly complete second Power Unit for all Honda-powered cars. New units—comprising the internal combustion engine, turbo, MGU-K, MGU-H, and exhaust system—were fitted to Max Verstappen’s and Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bulls, as well as the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar.
Interestingly, while this marks the second PU for Max Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda, and Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson is already on his third of the four allowed for the season. However, the previously used units will likely be rotated during the year. The only components not changed across the four Honda-powered cars were the battery and control electronics, as those had already been replaced last week in Bahrain.
Last year, Red Bull experienced reliability issues with the Power Unit, especially in hotter races, leading the team not only to plan which rounds to “sacrifice” for installing new units, but also to adopt conservative engine maps in practice sessions, often running below the full potential compared to rivals.
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