Red Bull waiting for Miami GP to see full potential of recent upgrades

Red Bull Racing is currently the favorite for the F1 world title. The Austrian outfit managed to gain a massive gap over its rivals with the new regulations. The Milton Keynes-based team increased its advantage further over the winter break, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez winning exchanging wins between themselves so far this season. Red Bull is rumored to enhance this advantage at the Miami GP.

The energy drinks giant took a different approach to the Azerbaijan GP than its rivals. The Austrian team brought in some crucial upgrades despite only one Free Practice session on the weekend. As per reports, this package was known to provide a boost of three-tenths per second; this included new bodywork near the radiator inlets that altered the airflow.

However, the lack of sufficient running and the nature of the Baku street circuit meant that Red Bull could not get the most out of its car. Max Verstappen was vocal about his struggles with the car during the weekend as the Milton Keynes-based team lost out to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari for Pole position. However, the team bounced back during the races and came home with a 1-2 finish.

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The Miami GP circuit will truly test out the new Red Bull upgrades

The Miami GP will be a regular F1 weekend with three practice sessions, allowing Red Bull to maximize track running with the package to gain a better understanding. At the same time, allowing Verstappen and Sergio Perez to get to grips with the new upgrades and find the right set-up balance. The Austrian squad will be focusing on in-season upgrades till the British GP as the team tries to increase its pace advantage before shifting focus to 2024.

The package introduced in Azerbaijan will finally be put to a real test in the streets of America. Adrian Newey‘s innovations are expected to give Red Bull the full three-tenths advantage in Miami after gaining only around half of that in Baku. The upgrades are crucial for Milton Keynes to build upon its gap to rivals before the second half of the season.

Christian Horner mentioned the team’s plan to slow down in-season development after the first half of 2023. He said, “When we return to compete in Europe I’m sure there will be updates. We have reduced development capacity this year, so we are focusing on increasing the gap from competitors.”

Thus, Red Bull Racing will remain a force to be reckoned with at the Miami GP this season. Ferrari might have caused an upset during Qualifying in Azerbaijan, yet the Austrian team still has more to extract from its car while enjoying a much better race pace. However, it remains to be seen the gains Red Bull makes with its latest package in Miami.

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