Formula 1 News: Verstappen's Red Bull gets major upgrade

Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB20 will sport a highly revised engine cover and sidepod for this weekend’s Hungarian GP at the Hungaroring.

Only Verstappen will get the upgrades, not teammate Sergio Perez.

Jeremy Lynch, Michael Timbs, Stefan Xavier, Josh Denzel and Olivia Buzaglo pose for a photo with the **‘original’ RB20** during the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB20 car launch at Red Bull Racing Factory on February 15, 2024 in Milton Keynes, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images for Red Bull Racing)

**New RB20 in Hungary**. The updated engine cover you see is the high downforce track engine cover. Meaning Red Bull will run this at tracks where more downforce is required and lower average speeds are present. The old high shoulder design is NOT DEAD. It will be used again in SPA and on tracks where medium to low downforce, and higher average track speeds are present. Obviously, this is a pretty major modular piece to be swapping around, but it seems the RBR aero team have found a way to optimize their aero package in a track specific way. Not only will front wings and rear wings become track specific, but the engine cover as well.

Also looks like the sidepod is totally different with a much deeper water slide now and a higher shoulder for the mid-tire wake. The rear cooling exit looks much more sloped down now.

This should change the whole flow to the rear of the car substantially.