### Red Bull Faces Rear Wing Challenges at Las Vegas Grand Prix

At the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Red Bull has encountered issues with its rear wing configuration that have posed significant aerodynamic challenges. The team's latest wing setup, intended to reduce drag and optimize performance on long straights, has proven to be less efficient than anticipated.

Red Bull arrived in Las Vegas with a streamlined rear and beam wing arrangement, seeking to maximize straight-line speed for drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. This approach was reminiscent of the low-drag setup used at Monza but with an even more aggressive trimming of the flap. Despite these efforts, the team found itself lagging behind rivals in FP1, clocking speeds up to 7 km/h slower in some sections of the speed traps.

To address this speed deficit, Red Bull made additional modifications by cutting away more of the upper flap's trailing edge. Images reveal mechanics meticulously removing carbon fiber material along a drawn guide line, aiming to minimize drag as much as possible. This trimming extended into and removed part of the central V groove, significantly reducing material around the DRS anchor point.

Further adjustments included a single element beam wing, which was also heavily trimmed along the trailing edge, leaving only a jagged full chord section to frame the exhaust's tailpipe. Complementing the rear wing changes, Red Bull introduced a revised front wing layout with shorter and less cambered flaps, designed to balance the car's downforce from front to rear.

Interestingly, Red Bull opted for a higher downforce engine cover variant, originally introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This setup, characterized by a more tapered rear, deviated from the older specification layout that many expected to reappear in Las Vegas, given its previous use in Italy and Azerbaijan.

In addition to these aerodynamic tweaks, Red Bull introduced a non-circuit specific fence update, aimed at extracting extra performance from the RB20 in the latter stages of the season. The new design features a raised inboard floor fence, angled to create a vortex that enhances airflow over the upper floor surface. The fence's shape below the tideline also saw a redesign, adopting a squarer leading edge.

Despite these extensive modifications and strategic choices, Red Bull's efforts to optimize its aerodynamic setup in Las Vegas have presented unforeseen challenges, underscoring the complexities of fine-tuning performance in Formula 1.