Formula One car development blog

McLaren have updated the cockpit ears by repositioning them to the height of the sidepods. It remains to be seen if this is a measure taken for Monza only or if this will be a permanent development. The winglet itself has largely retained the same shape with a rounded outer edge to decrease induced drag. To further improve on that side effect, the trailing edge of the stabiliser tips are neutral towards the airflow. In effect this winglet will do the same as in its previous location... Read more

After introducing a new nose cone and front wing at Turkey, the Toyota team have already a new wing ready for the very low downforce requirements at Monza. In fact the race version (lower image) follows a front wing with the older nose cone (upper image). Toyota have been planning a new nose to improve the car's general spec while also developing a low downforce front wing for Monza. As the low downforce wing was just ready for testing, it was not adopted to the new nosecone until 7... Read more

In a last effort to further improve their 2007 challenger, Williams have now also adopted the bridged front wing idea. After introducing their fully stacked wing (with upper elements connecting to the nose) and updating it (apart from track modifications) twice in the season, the engineers at Grove developed this new front wing. You can notice that in the middle section the wing will in fact produce lift which could, combined with the downforce generated at the outer edges decrease ... Read more

Toyota is working hard on a comeback and the cars continuously to show improved pace since the European Grand Prix. This time, the team introduced a serious update by redesigning the nose cone and front wing. Such a major update is rather rare these days, even Spyker did not touch the nose cone when creating their B-spec car. The upper part of the image shows the new shape where it is obvious the new cone is much lower and slightly narrower than previously. The underside of the nose... Read more

Once upon a time, Red Bull racing hired Adrian Newey as their technical director. The Briton was immediately assigned on the to-be-developed RB3 which would solve all cooling issues that were experienced with the 2006 contender. Initially the car sported chimneys to provide enough air exit for the radiators, but only a couple of races into the season those were replaced by winglets and a small cooling exit at the base of the winglet strut. The system as used and displayed exits air ... Read more

Since a few races, Honda has introduced a new front wing with 3 panels instead of their usual bi-plane configuration. Still, with problems in the wind tunnel, the team cannot verify improvements. As a result, the drivers get to run with both wings during the most recent race weekends but appear unable to decide either. Both men were seen running the double plane wing in free practice while they ran the race with 3 elements. It is a possibility that the race-wing does wear off the ty... Read more

Renault have added a small slit into the lower element of the rear wheel flipup. The change was introduced at the European GP at the Nürburgring, not accidentally coinciding with the addition of their new front wing. The wing was said to generally improve the car's handling and reduce rear tyre wear while also requiring a vastly different car set-up. As the flipup largely works on air that already passed the front wing, this item shows how important it is to look at the car as a who... Read more

Red Bull have been busy during the summer break and are the first team to introduce a front wing that snatches McLaren's bridged wing idea. While previously the upper elements were attached to the nose, they now join over the nose cone to condition airflow. However, the new wing is more than just that. Every single flap has been redesigned. It is most visibly in the leading edge of the base plane. During the first 11 races of 2007 that was a simple and elegant spoon shape which has ... Read more

Ferrari have brought an update on their famous front wheel fairing. Having it introduced only at Silverstone, the static wheel fairing is designed to improve brake cooling. As a 'side effect' it will undoubtedly improve airflow around the wheel. Even more so now as Ferrari developed an extra addition to the fairing. To further decrease the aerodynamic drag by the rotating wheel and the hot air exit, the team designed a winglet which is added above the wheel nut. Please also note an ... Read more

The higher downforce settings on F1 cars - as required in the 2 latest Grand Prix' - induce an increased amount of drag. Designing a winning car is therefore a never ending compromise based on the required downforce levels. In their high downforce rear wing, Red Bull have made a small cut in the middle of the wing. The airflow onto that area of the rear wing is actually slightly disrupted by the airbox ahead of it. Cutting this tip out prevents the generation of unwanted drag for ve... Read more