Red Bull has revealed the upgrades they’ve brought to the Hungaroring. The team expedited the process to bring the upgrade package to Hungary. As a result, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez will each be driving a slightly different RB20 during the weekend in Budapest.
Red Bull confirmed that only Max Verstappen has the full upgrade package for the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. The most notable updates brought by the current world champions relate to the engine cover and cooling. The so-called ‘shoulder’ air intakes have also been modified.
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Red Bull’s Engineering Strategy
Paul Monaghan, Red Bull’s chief engineer, has revealed that the team’s package will be divided between the two cars for the rest of the weekend. Sergio Pérez will be driving with a different configuration and slightly different sidepod shape than Max Verstappen. “Is it more work? Not really, because you’re already driving with two cars,” explained the British engineer. “So the fact that it has a slightly different shape won’t change our world. It doesn’t change how we try to optimize it. It’s something we hope to have by Zandvoort.”
Initial Results are Positive
Monaghan also indicated that the recent threat from competing teams, particularly McLaren and Mercedes, was the reason for accelerating the upgrades. “We’ll see how it pans out at the Hungaroring,” said the engineer. “If the lap times are relatively poor, we’ll have to consider going back, but we’re confident that we’ll continue with this.” During the first free practice, the Red Bull upgrades seemed to be paying off, with Verstappen achieving the second fastest time. Pérez, however, remained at P11.
