First look of Red Bull Racing’s ‘slim-pod’ F1 design ahead of the Hungary Grand Prix

Red Bull has unveiled its latest upgrades to the dominant RB19 ahead of the Hungarian GP, which are supposed to make the car even quicker. The trendsetting team is once again trying to move the goalpost, despite enjoying a significant lead over its nearest competitor.

Max Verstappen had first hinted at the upgrades after the British GP, and two weeks later, the updates have arrived in Hungary. The changes made by the team lie in the side pod inlet, which has become significantly narrower and wider.

Red Bull's launch spec car for 2023 was an evolution of the previous year's car, with few visual differences. The first major upgrades this season came in Baku, where the team narrowed the side pod inlets.

The second version of the car introduced in Hungary continues the trend of reducing the inlet size, with the 'slim-pods', now no bigger than a letter box. These changes add to its already aggressive undercut philosophy. The reduced inlet size demands an ultra-efficient cooling package, which the team has brought for the Hungarian GP.

The new side pods will not feature the water slide philosophy, which was adopted by Aston Martin and McLaren. Auto Motor und Sport claims that the latest upgrades are worth two-tenths of a second per lap. These speculations indicate a similar step size increase that the Baku upgrades produced.

Both Red Bull drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will have the upgrades this weekend. While Verstappen will be aiming for his seventh consecutive victory, the team is on the verge of making history. Red Bull could achieve their 12th consecutive victory if the RB19 is the first car to take the checkered flag.

Despite winning every race this season, the Milton-Keynes outfit is not basking in its glory. If the upgrades work as expected, the team will shift focus to its 2024 challenger, as they are the runaway championship favorites for the ongoing season.

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Daniel Ricciardo aiming for a Red Bull seat with his F1 comeback

F1 Grand Prix of Hungary

Daniel Ricciardo made a sensational F1 comeback and will be in the thick of the action driving for AlphaTauri in the Hungarian GP. While Ricciardo will be in the slowest car on the grid, he has set his sights on the Red Bull seat.

Returning from a half-season hiatus, the Aussie driver admitted that joining AlphaTauri was the "best path" to claim the highly prized Red Bull seat.

"I knew also with everything that happened the last few years, getting back into the sport after taking some time off, I knew it would be very hard to go back at the top," he told Sky Sports F1.

"Of course that was my wish but you also need to be realistic at some point and say 'OK, if I want to get back to a Red Bull seat then it's going to take a bit of a process or a path'. This for me is the best path at the moment."

All eyes will be on Daniel Ricciardo, as his journey to the top of the grid begins this weekend in Budapest.