What we learned from Red Bull and McLaren’s Austin F1 upgrades

Red Bull’s renewed challenge at the front of the grid in Austin suggests the team has begun to better understand the issues it faces in improving the RB20’s week-on-week performance .

However, there are other factors to consider as the handling of the tires is a stark difference compared to the competition at the United States Grand Prix.

The apparent ability to find and better maintain the performance sweet spot necessary for lap time and longevity during a stint was undoubtedly a factor throughout the race weekend and something that has been missing for most of 2024 was exacerbated by problems with vehicle balance.

However, we can’t ignore the fact that the RB20 was also equipped with a few new parts, which perhaps helped Red Bull find the balance that it has been sorely missing for several races.

This included a revised arrangement of the rear of the edge wing, with the rear quarter of its surface not only reshaped but also more curved than its predecessor. There is also a change in the profile of the vertical tab at the rear of the Edge Wing, as it is reconfigured along with the shape of the Edge Wing’s tail, which is now more upwardly pointed than before.

Austin also saw changes to the RB20’s sidepod bodywork and engine cover, with the rearward sloping surface becoming steeper as the overall length of the sidepod was shortened. This change coincides with an adjustment to the beltline contour to allow better passage of airflow to the rear of the vehicle.

McLaren was one of several teams to announce a series of changes for the United States Grand Prix as it looks to continue its climb up the pecking order and give the MCL38 a performance boost in the remaining races of the season.

McLaren MCL38 front wing comparison

Photo by: Uncredited

As was common in this era of regulation, the front wing and front suspension fairings were modified simultaneously, creating their aerodynamic kinship. The changes to the front wing were subtle, however, as the team adjusted the size of the top two flaps in the outboard section, with the top one now having a more consistent height across the entire span of the element (green arrows and comparison to older specifications in inset).

This also led to changes to the shape of the suspension fairing, with the geometry of the front leg of the lower wishbone changing. Additionally, the shape of the cricket bat-shaped outer part of the front leg of the upper control arm has been reconfigured, along with the shape of the inner mounting panel.

McLaren MCL38 beam wing comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Although McLaren announced the introduction of a new single-element beam wing arrangement in the vehicle presentation to complement the higher downforce rear wing configuration, McLaren opted for a different beam wing variant that was apparently already in its pool.

The biplane-style dual element arrangement was still a lower downforce version than that used in Singapore and was probably chosen by the team because it was a known quantity rather than pursuing an untested solution with just one training session, especially because The team had to test so many other components in just one session before sprint qualifying.

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