P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The gloves are off at Red Bull, which has brought a long list of upgrades to the second week of testing in Bahrain. What’s changed? Technical expert Paolo Filisetti explains!
Red Bull introduced multiple upgrades to the RB22 during the final Bahrain pre-season test, not just limited to the new front wing. These changes included modifications to the sidepods and small aerodynamic tweaks to the winglets on the engine air-intake sidepods and rear crash structure.
The team focused on reducing drag from the sidepods and moved on to the next testing phase, confident in the reliability of the new RBPT power unit.
The upgrades aim to optimize the overall performance of the car and push its packaging concept to the extreme, enhancing airflow management along the sidepods’ underside.
Head of aerodynamics Enrico Balbo oversaw additional modifications, such as new mirror supports, to solidify the configuration before the upcoming season-opening grand prix in Australia.
Despite these advancements, the first day of testing had some setbacks for Red Bull, with Isack Hadjar’s car facing extended pit time. It remains unclear if the issues were related to the recent changes in the sidepods or other unrelated factors.
