Formula One car development blog

The Hungaroring is one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar regarding downforce, and hence many teams introduce new components to improve the car's handling around the twisty track.

Renault have one of the most obvious changes as it introduces a new rear wing, adding quite a bit of downforce to the car. The new device builds on the drop in the wing's centre and extends on that idea, now adding a small slot underneath the main wing. The most interesting bit of this configur... Read more

McLaren have been running a new front wing design since Silverstone, in many ways quite different to its opponents. The new wing - in the lower half of the image - has a slightly revised endplate but also includes a more elaborate vertical support ahead of the inner front tyre wall. While it supports the stacked element, it has now become an important element to manage the airflow over the wing and onto the front tyres.

Meanwhile though they have discovered the performance advantage... Read more

After many teams surprised McLaren by coming up with a blown diffuser at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Woking had its blown diffuser ready at Silverstone, only to find though that it didn't work as expected. Diffusers and exhausts around them are an especially difficult area to model, and it is in this area that teams are suffering most of the in-season testing ban.

McLaren added shark gills on both sides in FP2 but finally decided against the system. Another new attempt will... Read more

Williams have introduced yet another major car update at Silverstone after introducing an effective F-duct at the previous Grand Prix, held at Valencia. The car already showed much improved pace in Spain, but at Silverstone both drivers could confirm their performances thanks to a new blown diffuser.

The change will obviously benefit the FW32 a lot as it previously featured high exhausts that appeared to disturb upper sidepod airflow quite a lot. The new sidepod slopes down much ste... Read more

With Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve being particularly hard on the brakes, all teams have modified their braking systems to cope with the additional demand. On a full lap, the cars are for 16% of the time under braking, more than any other track on the calendar.

Renault for instance clearly increased the brake duct aperture, catching more air to provide more cooling to the brake discs and pads (notice the difference with the Turkish configuration in the inset). Renault also ran a new ... Read more

Force India has secured their year best qualifying session of the year with Liuzzi in 6th and Sutil in 9th position. The F-duct that was introduced in Turkey but only raced by Liuzzi is now on both cars and certainly helped them to make a step forward at Montreal, where low drag on the long straights is vital for good laptimes. The team's system is very similar to that of Ferrari, with inlets on each side of the airbox and a channel going into the rear wing through the shark fin.

Me... Read more

In its own series of "updates at every race", McLaren have revised the sidepod panel. Attached to the car's floor and to the sidepod itself, all connections also fulfil an aerodynamic purpose. The panel itself is now more curvy at the bottom, while the section where it is closest to the sidepod now has a leading edge leaning inwards, aiming to direct more air around the outside of the panel.

The panel, although apparently simple, is extremely important for the car's rear end efficie... Read more

It's been said before, but the French team keep on confirming that they are convinced much time is to be found in the front wing. Unsurprisingly though, as the front wing hits the airflow first greatly influences the diffuser's efficiency, as well as airflow around the front wheels or into the brake ducts.

Just one race after its newest wing, the R30 is again equipped with a new version. The curvy stacked panel that was present since the the beginning of the season has made way for ... Read more

Red Bull have taken their time to thoroughly develop their own F-duct for the RB6, a car which is already a masterpiece. They are the latest top team to introduce it, but it certainly is one of the most interesting system yet seen.

Pictures taken on Friday afternoon show the RB6 with an uncovered F-duct, consisting of two channels through the sharkfin and onto the rear wing. Both channels start in a closed box, seemingly connected to the airbox. From there, the upper channel feeds a... Read more

Year after year teams are trying out new positions for the cameras. Be it the nose cameras or those on the engine cover, since they have an aerodynamic influence they are deemed interesting to optimize. As the shape is defined as a neutral wing, the only thing that's left is try to position it where it can be used as a flow straightener.

Mercedes have therefore followed McLaren's example and are now running nose cameras located low above the front wing. And if that wasn't enough, th... Read more