Red Bull’s Canadian GP upgrade is quite radical, even by their own standards.
Red Bull have arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix armed with a new rear wing, with Mercedes also bringing an upgrade to Montreal as the F1 2024 development race hots up.
Having produced the most dominant season in history in F1 2023, winning all but one of the 22 races as Max Verstappen eased to a third successive World Championship, Red Bull had been expected to crush the opposition once again in F1 2024.
Canadian Grand Prix upgrades: Red Bull, Mercedes and more
However, Red Bull’s strong start to the new campaign, winning four out of the first five races, has been overshadowed by their increasing vulnerability in recent weeks. McLaren and Ferrari, who emerged victorious in Miami and Monaco, have posed a renewed threat to Red Bull.
In Monte Carlo, Red Bull faced one of their toughest weekends in recent memory. Verstappen had a disappointing sixth-place finish, while his teammate Sergio Perez was eliminated in the initial stage of qualifying.
After successful upgrades for Ferrari and McLaren, Verstappen’s father Jos claimed that Red Bull’s period of dominance is over. He urged the team to respond, stating that their performance led to this conclusion.
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Ferrari and McLaren have not introduced any new improvements in Montreal, prompting Red Bull to respond by unveiling a modified rear wing design. The updated wing showcases a reprofiled flap extending across the entire span of the rear wing.
The main objective is to enhance the flap geometry in order to maximize the extraction of load in specific areas, while ensuring consistent flow stability under all conditions.
In order to cope with the demanding brake requirements at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Milton Keynes-based team has introduced an enlarged front-brake cooling exit duct to enhance reliability.
Mercedes, who are still awaiting their first podium finish of the F1 2024 season, have brought a tweak to the front suspension – a realignment of the track rod and lower wishbone forward leg – with the aim of reducing boundary-layer losses and improving airflow to the floor.
The front corner of the W15 has been modified by the Silver Arrows, with an increase in the size of the brake duct inlets. However, it should be noted that this adjustment is specific to the circuit.
Aston Martin is the only other top team to introduce a fresh component in Canada. They will unveil a redesigned beam wing with lower tips compared to the previous version this weekend.
This weekend, while teams like Williams, Red Bull, Sauber, and Haas are aiming to make progress by introducing upgrades, Alpine remains the sole team in the lower half of the field without any upgrades.
The suspension of Williams has been completely revamped, incorporating a shorter steering arm at the front of the car and introducing a fresh pullrod design at the rear.
Although the new rear suspension is geometrically identical to the previous design, it significantly enhances the range of ride-height adjustment without requiring the physical replacement of the pullrod component. Additionally, this modification enables the car to approach the legal weight limit more closely.
RB has developed a new rear wing that aims to generate more efficient downforce compared to its previous version. Additionally, they have designed a front wing specifically for the Canadian circuit. This new front wing is intended to decrease the overall load generated by the front wing, thereby achieving a balance with the low-drag rear wings that will be utilized in Montreal.
The alterations made by Sauber to their rear and beam wings for this race weekend are considered to be tailored specifically for this circuit. Similarly, Haas has also made circuit-specific changes by adjusting their front wing flap to reduce camber, resulting in decreased front load and improved efficiency of the front wing.
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