Red Bull is Rushing Massive Upgrades to Japan GP to Stop the Mercedes Domination
The 2026 Formula 1 season has not started the way Red Bull expected. After dominating the ground-effect era for years, the Milton Keynes squad has been entirely blindsided by the sheer pace of the new Mercedes W17. With George Russell taking the win in Australia and rookie Kimi Antonelli dominating China, Mercedes has locked out the top two steps of the podium in both opening rounds.
This weekend, we arrive at the legendary Suzuka Circuit. Historically, this high-speed figure-eight track is Max Verstappen’s personal playground. He is currently chasing a staggering fifth consecutive Japanese Grand Prix victory.
But to keep the Silver Arrows from making it three sweeps in a row, Red Bull is bringing a massive upgrade package to Japan. The Panic-Induced Floor Upgrades Red Bull is seemingly lacking the levels of downforce and tire life found by other teams in this new set of regulations. To combat the braking stability that Mercedes has seemingly mastered, Red Bull is heavily revising the floor of the RB22.
According to rumors, the team has fast-tracked a brand-new floor edge design. By adjusting the geometry of the floor fences and the edge wing, the energy drinks racing team is hoping to better seal the underbody air pressure when the car pitches forward under heavy braking. If it works, it will give Verstappen the front-end bite he desperately needs to tackle Suzuka’s terrifyingly fast Sector 1 S Curves without shredding his front tires.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – MARCH 15: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford leads Pierre Gasly of France driving the (10) Alpine F1 A526 Mercedes on track during the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 15, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202603150309 // Usage for editorial use only // Drastic Sidepod Changes While the floor generates the grip, the sidepods dictate the drag, and Red Bull knows they are currently losing the straight-line speed war to the potent Mercedes power unit. To fix this, Red Bull is rolling out a highly aggressive sidepod update.