Formula One car development blog

In a vigorous attempt to get the team back to the front of the field, McLaren is again introducing some updates on its car. First of all there is a shorter wheelbase version of the chassis - only at the disposal of Lewis Hamilton - which should help handling in the corners and enable a better weight distribution.

Additionally, the front wing endplates were again revised. The previous version, used since the German GP already looks too simple again, with the new item featuring a comp... Read more

As of the Hungarian Grand Prix, both Toro Rosso cars are now equipped with the latest updates from Red Bull technology that have put the Red Bull Racing cars at the front since Silverstone. With a new double deck diffuser, new nose, changed floor, new rear wing with slot opening in the middle part, the STR was clearly more efficient than before - note 11th position of Buemi during qualifying.

However, the update also shows the car's differences, and most importantly the cooling requ... Read more

McLaren is pushing ahead with its car development, and this time has come up with a revised aerodynamics package around the exhausts. The change resembles much that of Renault or Ferrari early on in the season as they decided that it is better to let hot air out of the sidepod sooner rather than later. Hence McLaren did the same, as the exhausts are now part of a large air outlet opening, following which the car's shell is much more tight. Still, the system is assymetrical with the ... Read more

Toyota is doing everything it can to find some extra rear downforce on its TF109. At the Hungaroring, a notoriously slow and high downforce circuit, the team added a BMW-style third rear wing element in the central 15cm of the wing. It is only in this area that move than 2 horizontal panels are allowed in the rear wing.

And as that didn't prove enough, another 2-panel wing was added above the rear light to push air up. Although less than in previous years, this item will also help t... Read more

Renault, just like BMW have found out the hard way that focusing too much on KERS during the winter has cost them dearly in aerodynamic performance of the car. The French squad is steadily improving with continuous updates and found out with Alonso that their latest package is an interesting upgrade.

The R29 does not have a specific problem but rather suffers a lack of grip, already since the first winter tests. Just like McLaren, the team therefore introduced a new front wing, a mu... Read more

Force India have shown their much improved pace at Germany that was largely thanks to its new aerodynamic package, including this totally revised front wing and endplate assembly. Although it is clearly a development of the previous version, the most inward, unmoveable part of the flaps have a changed profile to improve airflow along the inside of the front wheels.

The decked elements remained unchanged but it is now fixed differently with a seperate support (in unpainted black carb... Read more

Renault have had a great deal of work with their sidepods since the beginning of the season, but for the first time this year they have modified the air inlets to provide cooling to the engine and the car's internal parts. The larger inlet was debuted at Silverstone but was used again at the Nürburgring, surprisingly two of the more chilly events of the year.

The team has optimised internal airflow by merging the 2 cooling inlets together and separating the flow later on in the side... Read more

Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa have run the German Grand Prix with different front wing profiles. Raikkonen's car was equipped with a version that has been used for a long time - upper part of the image - while Massa had a new upper flap section. With all the rest of the wing indifferent, the new upper flap features a cutout and is not folded back behind the base plane in its most inward section.

While this change will influence the air fed into the brake cooling ducts, both driver... Read more

McLaren have decided to continue to develop its MP4-24 in a little more conservative way as previous highly anticipated updates did not pay off. At the Nürburgring one of the new aerodynamic things was a revised front wing endplate which now includes small vents that catch air flowing along the outside of the wing towards the inside. The idea was pioneered by Toyota but has since March found many more followers.

Additionally, the team also reverted to its more traditional front whee... Read more

It was only back in Monaco that Red Bull introduced its revised package aimed to benefit from a new double decker diffuser, and now again the RB5 is fitted with an update. The element is possibly as good an improvement as the original DDD was.

This time around the new diffuser now spans the maximum width, while previously the team, along with Toro Rosso, was the only not to use this. All diffusers of the RB5 in the first 7 races were the width of the rear wing, with its endplate ext... Read more