Red Bull’s supposedly copied Aston Martin and McLaren’s sidepods for Hungarian GP upgrades

Red Bull's RB19 upgrades set to cement dominance as Max Verstappen eyes 9th victory at Budapest.

Red Bull F1 car (Image credit: Sportskeeda)

The RB19, designed by the renowned Adrian Newey, has been a strong performer on the track, securing four 1-2 finishes and nine pole positions in qualifying sessions. But Red Bull isn’t resting on its success and is ready to introduce more improvements at the Hungaroring.

Reports suggest that Red Bull‘s upgrades will focus on the sidepods, with noticeable changes expected. The team drew inspiration from Aston Martin’s sidepod design, aiming to get even better performance from their car. These upgrades could result in a significant gain of about two-tenths of a second per lap, similar to the improvements seen in Baku.

Max Verstappen, the current championship leader, is excited about the upcoming enhancements. He mentioned that the team is working on various areas, such as drag reduction, performance in different speed ranges, DRS effectiveness, and tire wear. The upgrades hold great importance for Red Bull as they aim to sustain their dominance on the unique track layout and distinctive features of Hungary.

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Also read: Red Bull’s swift repairs camouflage Max Verstappen’s costly crash at the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix

Red Bull aims to extend their winning streak to 11 victories

Max Verstappen winning at the 2023 British Grand Prix (Image credit: Marco.com)

The inconsistency of their rivals has further strengthened Red Bull’s dominance. With different teams taking turns as the closest challengers in each race, no competitor has been able to threaten Red Bull’s position at the top consistently.

Throughout the season, Red Bull’s competitors have closed in on their performance. Nevertheless, Red Bull has managed to capitalize on this situation as various teams have emerged as the main contenders in each race. Consequently, the rival teams compete against each other for points rather than directly challenging Red Bull’s position.

?️ "We have a couple of upgrades this weekend, hopefully they will do what we expect them to do."#HungarianGP ?? || @Max33Verstappen ?? pic.twitter.com/a2Rq4woSxm
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 19, 2023

As a result, Red Bull currently has a big lead of 208 points over Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship. Additionally, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez hold the first and second positions, respectively, in the Drivers’ standings. As the Hungarian Grand Prix approaches, all eyes are on Red Bull and their upgraded RB19. The Milton Keynes-based team will look forward to extending their streak to 11 wins.

With Formula 1 regulations remaining unchanged for this and the following season, these upgrades carry significant weight. Progress now benefits Red Bull’s RB20 car, providing an edge for the upcoming campaign. However, limited wind tunnel testing necessitates careful resource allocation between the RB19 and next year’s car, posing a challenge for the team.