Red Bull has taken a notably different aerodynamic direction with the RB22, moving away from ultra-compact sidepod concepts and reviving ideas that resemble the Venturi-era Formula 1 cars. The objective is not simply to create more downforce, but to make that load more stable and usable through the corner, particularly at the rear of the car.
Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull are all searching for greater downforce and better balance through increasingly different approaches around the sidepod area. Their solutions highlight how teams are now using bodywork not only to reduce drag or package components tightly, but also to control the path of the airflow towards the floor and rear of the car.
Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull follow different sidepod paths
Mercedes has introduced more heavily tapered bodywork around the Coca-Cola bottle section of the W17, accompanied by surfaces designed to direct airflow towards the floor.
That approach is, in some respects, the opposite of the current McLaren philosophy. The MCL40 retains a downwash concept but also introduces a separation of the airflow, dividing it along different paths towards the rear of the car.
Red Bull has chosen another route altogether. After abandoning its zero-size sidepod solution, the RB22 has returned to descending ramps that recall concepts used during the previous generation of Venturi-effect Formula 1 cars.
Why the RB22 resembles Venturi-era designs
The ramps are particularly similar to solutions previously seen on Aston Martin and Alpine during that regulatory cycle. The resemblance lies both in their shape and in the way they guide airflow towards the rear of the car.
That earlier generation taught teams a great deal about managing the wake created by the front wheels and about protecting rear balance from turbulent air.
Red Bull will eventually have to modify this concept again as a result of the 2027 aerodynamic regulations, but the current RB22 design reveals a clear priority: creating a more stable aerodynamic platform rather than chasing maximum peak load in isolation.
Why stable downforce matters more than peak downforce
The key issue is not simply how much downforce a new geometry can generate, but how much of that load remains usable as the car moves through a corner.
When the driver turns the steering wheel, the position of the front-wheel wake changes. That disturbed airflow can interfere with the aerodynamic structures feeding the floor and rear of the car.
Protecting those areas can therefore make the car’s response more consistent, improving rotation without exposing the rear axle to sudden losses of grip.
Floorboards play a key role in controlling front-wheel wake
In theory, the floorboard structures should help contain and control the wake generated by the front tyres. Looking at the latest developments, however, engineers are also clearly trying to use these surfaces to move air either outwards or upwards.
That process can increase load in one of the most aerodynamically important areas of the car.
Redirecting the flow upwards can generate additional downward force and improve the behaviour of the overall aerodynamic package. The relationship is not unlimited, because engineers must also account for flow energy, separation and the associated drag penalty.
Even so, the principle helps explain why these surfaces have become increasingly sophisticated. Ferrari’s FTM concept is another example of teams trying to generate additional load through careful management of the airflow in this area.
What makes the Red Bull RB22 sidepod design different
The distinctive feature of the RB22 is the way Red Bull combines its descending sidepod ramps with an outer sidepod surface raised almost to the limit of the permitted regulatory volume.
This has allowed Red Bull to create surfaces that guide the airflow downwards while simultaneously maintaining a high outer structure. That upper surface helps organise the flow and shield the most sensitive aerodynamic areas from turbulence generated further forward.
The return to shapes previously explored during the Venturi era therefore answers a very specific requirement: recovering aerodynamic tools that help control the airflow and stabilise the balance of the car.
The previous pursuit of the smallest possible sidepods has increasingly given way to more developed surfaces capable of guiding the air more deliberately and protecting the operation of the rear of the car.
Why Red Bull’s Baku form supports the aerodynamic direction
Since Baku, Red Bull has looked particularly effective during the rotation phase of corners. The RB22 appears to allow Max Verstappen to position the car more decisively from the middle of the corner towards the exit, while maintaining a rear end he can trust during the second half of the turn.
It would be too simplistic to attribute that behaviour entirely to the sidepods. The floor, mechanical set-up and tyres all work together, but what has been seen on track is consistent with Red Bull’s effort to create a more stable aerodynamic balance.
The improvement also fits with Red Bull’s major performance step since its Baku upgrade, which helped Max Verstappen become significantly more competitive during the second half of the season.
How the RB22 helps Max Verstappen attack the corner
Within this more stable operating window, Max Verstappen has once again been able to make a clear difference behind the wheel.
A car that rotates more effectively allows the Dutchman to exploit his aggressive approach on corner entry while reducing the number of corrections required through the middle of the turn.
That also lets him prepare the exit earlier and commit more confidently to the throttle.
The value of Red Bull’s development work appears to lie precisely there: not simply in creating more aerodynamic load, but in making that load easier to use. By improving stability and predictability, the RB22 gives Max Verstappen the confidence he needs to operate closer to the limit.
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