Red Bull launched the RB22 in early February. Visually it’s an evolution of the RB21, but there are several details worth highlighting.

Sidepods#

The biggest visual change. The inlet has moved up and inward — closer to the cockpit — and the undercut has been deepened. This follows the philosophy that started with the RB18: cleaner airflow to the floor edge, more energy in the diffuser.

I think they’ve gone slightly more extreme than McLaren this year, which is a reversal of last year’s trend.

Floor edges#

Razor-thin and aggressive, with what looks like a step in the floor at the leading edge of the keel area. The 2026 regs allow this if it’s part of the reference plane structure, and Red Bull is clearly pushing the envelope.

Front suspension#

Pushrod, as expected. But the upper wishbone is now angled steeper — likely to extract more aerodynamic benefit through cornering when the car is loaded. McLaren is running pull-rod up front, which is rare.

Rear wing#

The active rear wing system is integrated with the engine cover in a way I haven’t seen on other cars. The stalk attachment is much further forward than McLaren’s solution, which suggests Red Bull is prioritizing low-drag in the open position over loaded efficiency in closed.

Engine packaging#

The smaller Honda RBPT 2026 power unit is clearly shorter than the predecessor. The wheelbase is 5 cm shorter than RB21, which should help in tight twisty sections — Hungary, Monaco, Singapore.

Conclusion#

This is an evolution car, not a revolution. Red Bull hit the new regs running. The fact that they were on pole at round one suggests the development direction was correct.

The interesting question: what’s next? Adrian Newey is no longer at Red Bull (he’s at Aston Martin now), and we’ll see during the season how much that loss matters in development races.