TECH CORNER: What aerodynamic level are the top teams set to run at the Hungaroring?
As teams rolled out their aerodynamic pacakges for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, it has emerged that the four leading teams are set to run a similar rear wing at the heavily-revamped Hungaroring. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo delivers his latest analysis.
Just a few days after the Belgian Grand Prix, the F1 field reconvenes this weekend in Mogyoród, with the revamped Hungaroring set to play host to the last race ahead of the three-week summer break.
The Hungaroring offers a very different set of challenges to what the previous tracks – Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps – demanded from cars.
The Mogyoród track does not feature long straight and high-speed sweeps. Instead, it has a flowing sequence of closely-linked corners, whilst there is just one real straight, which is the start-finish straight.
The tight, twisting and technical track is often branded as “Monaco without barriers” which accentuates car balance and good traction out of corners.
It is therefore not surprising that teams tend to use high-downforce aerodynamic configurations, and based on the images provided by Albert Fabrega, it seems that this weekend will present no exception.
After the Belgian Grand Prix saw the four top teams go down different routes in terms of aerodynamic load, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren all look to elect to use a high-downforce package at the Hungaroring.
However, there are significant differences in terms of the main plane. Although all four rear wings feature a spoon-shaped design, Mercedes’ one is the least pronounced as the Brackley-based outfit opted to use a robust, massive main plane, with the central section of the leading edge swept upwards.
The flaps also feature a similar design, albeit Ferrari look to slightly trim down the outer sections in width, with their lower edges following a root function-esque line.
By having a closer look at what Mercedes and McLaren pursue, it emerged that they have also use a similar edge, but theirs are less pronounced. In contrast, Red Bull appear to have gone for maximum downforce with their flap design.
Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari have opted for a linear trailing edge on its flap, whilst Red Bull went for a small centre line V cutout. This design is used to mitigate the effect of the DRS actuator as its positions means that the energy in the flow to that section of the flap is not as strong and it will separate on the undersurface earlier.
All teams look to use gurney flaps on the trailing edge of their flaps which helps improve the airflow over the rear wing, creating a larger downforce and reducing drag.
