Formula One car development blog

There was a time when Ferrari was known for its complicated front wing endplates, and steadily it looks like that is coming back. The team however is now only a follower as they copy various design properties of other, faster cars.

The endplate has complicated since the car's first race. An additional vertical element was added, very similar to the Brawn BGP001. Slightly hidden is a small slot that catches air and directs it inwards of the end plate. Additionally the wing itself now... Read more

Brawn have introduced their first car updates at the Spanish GP, keeping them ahead of the competition. One of the changes includes a redesigned engine cover. While the previous design was a smooth cover, the new updated sidepods have a sharper inward curve. More in the centre of the car, following the exhausts is a new cover of the suspension components.

Marked with a second arrow is also the slightly modified bodywork ahead of the exhaust openings, somehow resembling the curved si... Read more

Toyota have introduced a new front wing at the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. The new wing - lower part of image - adds an additional flap and makes the main front wing panels similar to McLaren's design. Apart from this, the cascade element's tip was also changed and simplified as the downward curve has been removed.

Unsurprisingly however, the wing was only tested on Friday by both drivers. The following qualifying and race saw both cars equipped with the older version as pictured in... Read more

BMW Sauber are in trouble, and as a result are focusing towards quickly improving the car with as little effort as possible. What better was is there than to copy another team's working idea and implement something similar. BMW brought at Barcelona a major aerodynamic upgrade package, including a rear wing with the marked additional flap on the central 150mm. It exploits an idea from Toyota that is now also used by Ferrari. The additional wing elements allow for higher efficiency in... Read more

Renault have been very quick introducing new bits on its R29 contender, and part of their rear end update at China was a heavily revised sidepod ending. In sharp contrast with version seen at the launch, the new sidepods have more openings to provide extra cooling. As such the team could slim down the bodywork quite a bit and ditch its undercut hot air channel between the rear wheels.

A disadvantage of allowing more hot air to escape earlier on in the air stream, the sidepod compone... Read more

Apart from a whole range of changes on the rear end of the car, Renault have also changed their front wing to be more efficient. The above detail image is the new Shangai version for Alonso, while the lower one is that used in the 2 earlier races and by Piquet at Shangai. The latter will undoubtedly soon also have this update once the team finish manufacturing of a second one.

Marked by the arrows is the trailing edge of the main flap, now featuring sharp cuts and a more elaborate g... Read more

Although the lacklustre showing in qualifying suggests otherwise, Toyota keep on working on their TF109. One little detail we spotted is the addition of a small winglet on their sidepod panel. As it concerns a fairly flat aerofoil, it looks like it's aimed at reducing turbulence from behind the front wheels, attempting to improve the flow towards the rear end of the car.

Also marked in the image are the turning vanes that Toyota have been using. Fitted in between the front wheels an... Read more

In an attempt to crawl back up the grid, McLaren are doing everything in their power to find extra downforce. One of these measures is an additional deck on the front wing (upper part of image), similar to Red Bull's, and to a lesser extent Toyota's front wing. The element is proven design since Renault introduced it in 2005 on its championship winning Renault R25 and has found wide adoption this year after the more efficient bridge wing solutions were banned for 2009.

Somehow the previous design must have been a fairly efficient one as Red Bull have been using the round brake duct (left of image) since at least the beginning of 2008. As of that design, Red Bull have always consistently built their ducts from Windform XT, a rapid prototyping material often used to create the models tested in windtunnels.

The latest design is from the same material but changes the shape of the air inlet. The outer part, closest to the wheel is now (right of image) ... Read more

Apart from the double deck exhaust, the Brawn BGP001 now appears to be under fire for its exhausts. Racecar engineering have discovered that Brawn adapted (right) its car after the Australian GP at Melbourne after its exhausts were seen protruding the design (left). It is believed the change was fuelled by informal requests of other teams. Earlier on, in winter testing Ferrari faces the same problem and adapted its bodywork and exhaust system to comply with the strict letter of the ... Read more