Red Bull has introduced another set of upgrades ahead of the F1 Mexico City GP, providing Max Verstappen with a boost in his unexpected late-season title hunt.
Since the summer break, Red Bull has steadily worked on modifying the RB21 to maximise its potential. That work has paid off, helping the team return to more consistent form at the front of the grid, and allowing Verstappen to take three wins in the last four rounds.
Having reduced his gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri down to just 40 points, Verstappen now heads into the weekend with additional tools at his disposal, looking to further chip away at the McLaren drivers’ points advantage.
Red Bull introduces revised floor and cooling tweaks
The key focus of Red Bull’s upgrade for Mexico is an evolution of the floor design first introduced at Monza. This latest version features a reprofiled upper surface toward the rear of the outer floor, aimed at generating more aerodynamic load. The team has also revised the edge wing to better complement the updated floor layout.
Adjustments to how the floor interacts with the sidepod area have also been made to improve cooling efficiency. These changes are particularly relevant at Mexico’s high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, where the thinner air places extra demands on cooling systems.
In response to these circuit-specific challenges, Red Bull has reworked the rear engine cover exit as an optional cooling configuration, available for deployment if required under high-temperature conditions. The team has also fitted the RB21 with larger front brake ducts to manage increased demands around this circuit.
For now, it remains unclear whether Verstappen’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda will receive the full suite of upgrades this weekend. Verstappen will notably be absent from FP1 at the F1 Mexico City GP, as Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad will be getting behind the wheel of his RB21 for a scheduled practice outing.
Other teams also respond to cooling challenge in Mexico
Red Bull is not the only team making adjustments in order to better equip their car for Mexico’s uniquely challenging conditions. Ferrari has introduced its own set of upgrades, including larger rear brake ducts and additional cooling slots within the bodywork to protect against overheating. Elsewhere in the pit lane, Alpine, Williams, Sauber, and Racing Bulls have all responded with similar modifications, increasing the size of their cooling slots.
