Formula One car development blog

As extra little bit of downforce stripped off some time of a lap around Singapore, Toyota added a mini rear wing behind the usual one. Other teams have done similar things, but Toyota designed a wing with a slot gap. The gap is vital for such high angle of attack in order to prevent flow seperation on its underside.
The rear wing itself is of the same type as the one used at Monaco. It makes maximum use of the regulations by having 3 elements in the central area of the wing, again f... Read more

Following a string of other teams, Toyota have added cockpit wings to its TF108. This type of winglet helps to stabilise the airflow around the cockpit and allows for more downforce generated by the rear wing.
While all of the team's versions aim to do the same, they are in fact fairly different. By measure of comparison, the lower image displays BMW Sauber's version which is a fairly thick wing with a varying but positive angle of attack. On the Toyota, the wing is thinner and is c... Read more

Realising that all teams are now competing this season with a zero keel front suspension, I spotted this at the Belgian Grand Prix. The picture shows how the front suspension - which is totally different than that of the TF107 - is attached to the monocoque. The zero keel - which denotes the lack of vertical suspension support under the nose - allows for a much better airflow under the nose and towards the sidepods. The picture does show an extension on the car's centre line, but th... Read more

Similar to what other teams have been doing, Toyota have added a slot gap in the outer extremities of the bridge wing. The gap is however much smaller than at McLaren or Red Bull for example. The new wing will allow for a slightly higher angle of attack, possibly mainly with the Hungarian GP in mind that is due to be held in 2 weeks.

Having already predicted it several days ago, there is another team that has designed its own shark fin engine cover. This time around it's Toyota. They briefly tested the new part yesterday and today ran it again, although not the entire day.
On Tuesday, McLaren was the first with a new engine cover during this test. Both teams are likely to use the new cover as its benefits have been proven by several other team already during this year's championship. The design meanwhile is simi... Read more

Wheel fairings have become fairly normal by now, and most teams have identical designs. At the rear, every team used a fixed shield with a central opening, both allowing the mechanics to fit the tyres and to provide an exhaust for brake air (and dust).
Toyota have now given a new twist to it as they designed a venting shield. Instead of a closed carbon disc, the element consists of small, identical aerofoils that allow hot air to escape from the wheel. More specifically at the upper... Read more

Toyota have introduced yet another front wing development at Magny Cours. In fact the team has a modified front wing at almost every circuit. The version for the French Grand Prix was very different to the one run at Canada (upper image) but resembles in some aspects the Monaco version. The main plane for instance retained a similar profile (1) while the spoon shape was also identical (2). There are however also brand new changes to the wing, all mainly aimed at improving stability... Read more

In an attempt to maximise downforce, Toyota have designed a new rear wing that holds an extra slot in the middle of the wingspan. The team thereby use a loophole in the regulations that stipulate two closed elements for the rear wing. Since the rule applies only to the wing between 150mm and 480mm of the centreline, an extra slot was possible. This allows the wing in that area to be steeper without risking to stall it.
Additionally, you can also see in the picture that Toyota had a ... Read more

Traditionally at Monaco, all teams add downforce wherever they can. Toyota have taken a major step as they have a new rear wing, again the inboard mirrors and this new front wing. Above is the new Monaco spec, which clearly has more surface to its main plane (the little cutout as marked on the Turkey spec was left out). Apart from that, the base plane was also altered and now a little more curvy around the spoon shape and at the outer extremities. The outer changes are particularly ... Read more

Just like Renault copied BMW Sauber's idea already at the beginning of the season, Toyota have now also seen the light and produced a similar item for their TF108. In fact it looks very similar to Renault's sidepod panel extension. On top of that, as indicated in the image, the panel's leading edge is curved slightly inwards on its lower half of the newly added panel. This detail helps to direct air around the sidepods and towards the gearbox area.
Also in their new package update, ... Read more