Maximum development at minimal cost - How Red Bull became the fastest in the field

From early in the season, the RBR16B has been identified as the fastest on track. Behind this lies an extremely clever redesign of the rear suspension, one that seems to have taken maximum advantage of recent aerodynamic tweaks and revisions to the floor, at a minimal cost.

A technical analysis by Formula 1 technical expert Mark Hughes dives deeper into Red Bull's rear suspension, revealing an ingenious trick that has saved the team a development token. Where a suspension change would normally affect the car's gearbox or crash structure, costing a development token, Red Bull were able to achieve a significant aerodynamic advantage while retaining the old fixture points.

Hughes analyses this as follows, and sees a comparison with the 2020 Mercedes: "Red Bull have managed to sweep their rear suspension back in quite a similar way to how Mercedes managed it last year when there were no restrictions. … But Red Bull have done it while retaining the existing mounting points and thereby not incurring development token spend in this area. Red Bull were already mounting the rearward wishbone very far back, but with the RB16B they have also been able to also move the forward leg back."

Aerodynamic advantage

This has allowed the engineers at Milton Keynes to free up vital space at the back for aerodynamics, says Hughes: "[This] is hugely valuable real estate for the aerodynamicists as they strive to direct the airflow from the sidepods to the space between the rear tyre and diffuser wall. The faster they can induce this to flow, the harder it will scavenge the air from inside the diffuser as it passes around and behind it."

This ingenious feat of design from Red Bull Racing's factory explains the claim the team seems to have in the fight for the constructors' title this year, and will undoubtedly be a point of pride for both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.