Red Bull’s new RB22 sidepods reignite the Formula 1 aerodynamic battle
Red Bull became one of the biggest talking points of the Miami Grand Prix weekend after introducing a major technical upgrade package for the RB22. At the center of attention were the team’s new sidepods, which effectively brought back the famous “water slide” concept — an aerodynamic solution designed to guide airflow more efficiently toward the floor and diffuser.
The objective behind the redesign appears clear: reduce aerodynamic losses, improve airflow stability and deliver a more balanced car through the corners. Unsurprisingly, the concept immediately caught the attention of rival Formula 1 teams throughout the paddock.
McLaren closely studying Red Bull’s new concept
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella openly admitted that Red Bull’s latest direction has created enormous technical interest among engineers and aerodynamicists.
“For those who follow the technical side of Formula 1, this is a really fascinating phase,” Stella explained. “The concept chosen by Red Bull is different from the approaches followed by Ferrari and Mercedes, while McLaren is also pursuing its own direction.”
The Italian manager also suggested that Formula 1 remains far from reaching a common aerodynamic philosophy under the new regulations.
“Sooner or later we will probably see convergence, but at the moment we are still very far from that point. Teams will continue studying each other and experimenting.”
Red Bull exploiting Formula 1’s regulatory grey areas
According to Stella, Red Bull has once again shown its ability to intelligently exploit some of the regulatory grey areas within the current Formula 1 rules.
“They were clever in the way they interpreted the regulations and transformed them into a very particular aerodynamic solution,” Stella admitted.
The new RB22 sidepods appear specifically designed to improve the management of turbulent airflow generated by the front tyres while simultaneously increasing the efficiency of airflow extraction toward the rear of the car.
The overall feeling inside the paddock is that Formula 1 has now entered a completely new technical phase. Unlike the closing years of previous regulation cycles — where cars had gradually begun to resemble each other — the current generation still features dramatically different concepts across the grid.
And precisely because the cars remain so different from one another, every new upgrade package now has the potential to significantly alter the competitive balance.
Miami may therefore prove to be more than just another development weekend. It could represent the beginning of a fresh aerodynamic arms race capable of redefining the direction of Formula 1’s 2026 era.
The introduction of the “water-slide” sidepod concept on the Red Bull RB22 therefore marks a fresh escalation in the 2026 aerodynamic war, proving that technical convergence is still a long way off. While teams like Ferrari and Mercedes maintain distinct design philosophies, Red Bull’s ability to navigate regulatory gray areas continues to set the benchmark for innovation. As Andrea Stella noted, this diversity in design ensures that the developmental race remains unpredictable, with each major update potentially redrawing the hierarchy of the field before the cars eventually move toward a unified technical solution.
Leave a Reply