Red Bull Brings Second Big Upgrade of 2026 to Austrian GP, Targeting Weight and Lap Time
Red Bull is set to introduce its second major upgrade package of the 2026 season at the Austrian Grand Prix. The development push includes further weight reduction on the RB22, with technical director Pierre Waché having previously targeted the 768 kg FIA minimum weight limit for Spielberg. Team principal Laurent Mekies has cautioned the package alone will not close the full gap to the front runners.
Red Bull confirms upgrade push at its home race
In Austria, Red Bull is known to be preparing to unleash new parts in what will be the team's second major upgrade of the 2026 season. [1] One of the potential gains the package can deliver is further weight reduction, as Red Bull is still understood to be above the minimum weight allowed by the regulations; back in May, technical director Pierre Waché told Motorsport.com that the plan was to reach the minimum weight of 768 kg with the Austrian package. [2]
A weight problem that has cost pace all season
The Miami upgrade featured heavily revised sidepods and a new floor, and those changes had the desired effect. [2] For the next major package, weight was flagged once again as a key focus; in Miami, Red Bull had already managed to reduce the RB22's excess weight from 12 to six kilograms, after which plans were made to bring the cars of Verstappen and Hadjar down to the FIA minimum weight. [2]
Mekies sets realistic expectations
Team principal Laurent Mekies framed the challenge plainly: "The picture of the season is these performance variations based on who is bringing his upgrade. Ferrari made a big step forward. Obviously, our next big one is in Austria. But, you know, it's only as good as the real lap time on track it brings. Everyone in Milton Keynes has been working very hard for that package." [1]
It is unknown which parts will be revised beyond weight reduction, and Mekies does not believe this step alone will be sufficient to bring Red Bull into genuine contention for victories. "There is no doubt that the Austrian package alone will not be enough," he stated. "We know we'll have some further steps needed. But what is important is that on that continuous closing-the-gap trajectory that we have been onto since post-Japan, is that we continue to get closer, that we don't talk anymore about four tenths, but hopefully about less." The four tenths per lap is what Mekies estimates Red Bull still needs to find relative to its rivals. [1]
:::analysis The Red Bull Ring's shorter lap and high-speed character mean that weight carries an outsized penalty at Spielberg relative to street circuits, making this the logical venue to debut the new lighter specification. Even if the car hits 768 kg as targeted, closing four tenths in a single upgrade cycle would represent a substantial step; the Miami package halved a similar-sized deficit, suggesting incremental rather than transformative progress is the more realistic baseline. The 2026 regulations have amplified the value of each development token, making the Austria weekend a meaningful, if not decisive, indicator of where the RB22 genuinely sits in the pecking order for the second half of the season. :::
Related reading
- [1]Red Bull to bring second major upgrade of 2026 in Austria - what to expect (motorsport). Accessed 2026-06-20.
- [2]Red Bull aims to hit F1 weight limit at Austrian Grand Prix (autosport). Accessed 2026-06-20.
- [3]Red Bull to bring second major upgrade of 2026 in Austria - what to expect (motorsport). Accessed 2026-06-20.