F1 | Red Bull reaction: RB20 with new bottom and front wing

For an action, there corresponds a reaction. McLaren had brought to Miami much of the upgrade package that the Woking team had prepared on the MCL38 and Lando Norris benefited from it enough to win his first race in America. Ferrari decided on the evolution of the SF-24 after the filming day in Fiorano and a leap forward from Red Bull was also expected in Imola which sees the great advantage from the beginning of the season diluted, with the opponents trying to get closer.

The Milton Keynes team produced a series of important innovations at the debut of the European season, almost as if they wanted to underline their distance from their pursuers. The interventions concerned different areas of the RB20, justifying the very measured words of Fred Vasseur in wanting not to give too much weight to the red’s updates.

The front wing is new and features a lateral bulkhead that connects to the last two flaps with a different design useful for increasing the out wash effect of the flow that is conveyed to the outside of the front wheel to clean up the wake. Pierre Waché and associates have widened the chord of the two upper elements, also requiring a new integration with the nose which has also been slightly redesigned in proximity to the cameras.

Red Bull Racing RB20: here is the new fund

Photo by: Erwin Jaeggi

The most striking change concerns the pavement of the ground which has been redesigned especially in the central part: the all too obvious objective is to seek aerodynamic load in the low pressure area while maintaining good flow stability: the lateral wing has been shortened (scimitar) and the area that is intended to blow the flow beyond the rear wheel has definitely expanded. To the two vortex generators, a battery of decidedly larger flaps is added (there are five elements) which seem separated from the floor creating an interesting blowing effect.

The interventions did not only concern the lateral trailing edge of the floor, given that the CFD analysis made it possible to clean up the pavement, allowing the flow conveyed towards the rear of the RB20 to be increased in favor of an increase in downforce.

Red Bull Racing RB20: here is the rear end with the new brake ducts

Picture of: Giorgio Piola

The interventions did not only concern the search for performance: the rear brake duct was revised to improve brake cooling and consequently the fins that make up the corners were also redesigned.

Red Bull Racing RB20: the front revised in the wing and nose details

Photo by: Erwin Jaeggi

Red Bull is looking for a change of gear to reaffirm its technical supremacy with the RB20: Imola will give us a first answer on who worked best to try to subvert the known values, but even without Adrian Newey in the world champion team they seem to have some very clear ideas…