Peter Windsor has ‘doubt’ over major US Grand Prix Red Bull upgrade

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Red Bull’s United States Grand Prix upgrade is huge to their championship hopes and is their last-gasp effort to save one of their titles.

The constructors’ standings make for grim reading currently, as McLaren hold a 41-point lead and have two drivers capable of reaching the podium every weekend.

It’s a case of putting all their eggs in one basket for Red Bull and focusing their efforts on Max Verstappen’s bid to win a fourth consecutive drivers’ title.

The only requirement is to finish second at every race between now and Abu Dhabi, and the Dutchman doesn’t even need to take any fastest laps.

Peter Windsor has ‘doubt’ over Red Bull’s upgrade

The new upgrades had one journalist calling the ‘magical’ RB20 an effective B-Spec car, as changes to the floor and front wing are set to arrive.

The idea that Red Bull will copy McLaren’s flexible front wing idea and bring more top speed to their car has been discussed.

However, journalist Peter Windsor doubts that the upgrade will be an exact copy of their rivals’ work and that it probably wouldn’t work if they did that anyway.

READ MORE: F1 expert ‘sceptical’ about what Red Bull plan for US Grand Prix

“In my experience, copying front wings of other quick cars never ever produces a result. Particularly if you’ve got a different car to everyone else anyway.

“I doubt it’s as simple as that’s what McLaren have got, let’s put it on the Red Bull and it’ll be as quick as the McLaren.

“I’m sure Red Bull, like everybody, is playing with front wings throughout the year, floor throughout the year, strakes throughout the year. All those aero appendages.”

What can Red Bull expect from their new upgrades?

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has insisted that his team intends to outdevelop everyone before the end of the season.

If that happens to be the case, then even if Red Bull does bring some improvements, they won’t have another chance to win a race without exceptional circumstances (crash, DNF etc.).

The Papaya outfit already holds a healthy advantage over the entire grid, and extending that would only put them out of reach.

READ MORE: David Coulthard tells Daniel Ricciardo what he should be doing right now after RB sacking

In such a finely balanced situation, tenths of a second could separate the winners from the losers at the end of the season.

At the rate that Verstappen has been losing points to Norris this season, expect to see an intense title finale, but one that could be settled on strategy rather than outright race pace.