Formula One car development blog

Toyota have ditched their outboard mirrors in favour of a traditional layout that the team has been used to. At the launch, the TF108 was unveiled with mirrors attached to the sidepod panels, similar to Renault's solution in 2007. After Renault removed them, Toyota have also reverted to putting the mirrors close to the driver. McLaren last year also tested outboard mirrors on several occasions but opted against them because the drivers preferred othewise. It is believed to be the sa... Read more

Also included with Honda's new aero package was a new mid wing. The newest version is a serious development step for the car as previously, the Honda cars either had no mid wing or displayed a simple, horizontal plane, in fact a design that appeared outdated. The new version is of a totally different kind as it has been optimised to work along the airflow and try to direct air as smooth as possible to the rear wing. The shape varies slightly along the width of the aerofoil while the... Read more

While it can be an independent development, Renault required about a month since the BMW introduction to also connect the sidepod panel with the barge board. The French team ran their new item at the last winter test for the first time and was used all the weekend in Australia. The panel is larger than the BMW and particularly aims to direct air around the sidepod and onto the rear wing. When designed correctly, such a device can generate considerable amounts of downforce at the rea... Read more

While the basic design elements are not new, the modern airbox wing on the FW30 is an excellent example of the current level of development in Formula One. Some teams are use very basic or no aerofoils in this area, but Williams appear to have put great effort in it. The image clearly shows a variation in chord along the width of the winglet. On top of that, the wingtip is slightly pointing upwards. The reason behind it is hard with any simulation, but any aerofoil in this area is i... Read more

McLaren have added some changes in the rear wing area in order to improve the downforce to drag ratio. While the principle is already well known and currently also used by BMW Sauber, McLaren have implemented it creatively by connecting the lower element of the rear wing to the shark fin on the rear crash structure. The winglet helps to add downforce in the small zone where aerofoils are still permitted by the regulations. Additionally, the end plate was developed with a small stabi... Read more

Whether this is the rumoured W-wing of Renault remains to be seen (rumours tend to be wrong sometimes), the team introduced its new wing just this weekend (upper image). The difference with the wing that was tested through the winter (lower left inset) is the curvature close to the end plates. While similar designs have appeared at Renault, this one is completely new and very much resembles the current rear wing of McLaren (lower right inset). The wing also has twin central supports... Read more

Honda have surprised many with their relatively good pace in qualifying at Australia. Part of that is thanks to a new aeropackage, including this new front wing (upper part). As marked, you can see the base plane is completely revised and is now more edged in the ends and smoother along the spoon shape. The upper element is also redesigned and is of much simpler shape than before. The previous version resembled highly the Ferrari front wing while the new one has no more cuts and is ... Read more

McLaren have introduced an additional development to their bridge wing at the final pre-season test at Barcelona. While all previous iterations of any team were all of a single, solid aerofoil in between the end plates and above the nose cone. The newest McLaren version has a small opening in the downforce generating blades, effectively increasing their efficiency. At the same time, the new element is slightly flatter and longer in the middle, therefore improving its stabilisation f... Read more

As the new Honda has been testing with its 'viking horns' for a while now (they were quickly fitted after the launch), it is time to have a closer look at them. While it is now the only car with horns, pictured are also McLaren's version of 2006 and from BMW Sauber in 2007. As is clear in the image, the curvature is more rounded now at the outer extremities while the angle of attack is very neutral, similar to McLaren's item. The aerofoils themselves are aimed to stabilise the car u... Read more

The team's takeover by Vijay Mallya during the winter has certainly proved to have its effect on the development of the car. While the launched car did not have much new bits, the version of the VJM-01 that made the track debut did. First off, the team looked closely to what McLaren have been doing with their sidepod panels and therefore also elongated the panel onto the sidepod to connect to the chimney. The element is also very similar to Williams' design. Additionally, the car ha... Read more