AMUS article about the different front wing concepts
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The front wings of the new Formula 1 cars couldn't be more different than ever. There are two completely different concepts. Did Ferrari and Sauber make it right?
Actually, the changes in the regulations are not that extensive. Front and rear wings have new dimensions and shapes, the baffles have been trimmed a bit, the front brake vents now fulfill mainly the purpose they were intended. From an aerodynamicist's perspective, however, the new rules are a landslide. Everything from the front axle to the rear changes. Because the front wing sets the rest of the vehicle.
Perhaps this is the reason why the 2019 Formula 1 year brings so many different interpretations of wings, baffles, subfloors and side boxes. Especially the variety of front wings surprised. One would think that there is not much to fetch with only five elements left and right and end plates from the Lego kit. And yet almost every team has its own solution. And in terms of philosophy there are two contrary concepts.
Two extremes: the front wings of Sauber and Mercedes Sauber is one extreme, Mercedes the other. The key difference is easy to see when you look at the wing from the front. In the case of the Mercedes, the flaps are less classic in depth than on the outside. At Sauber, it is the other way round. As the flaps to the end plates are getting thinner and flatter. Ferrari follows a similar path, just not so extreme. Also McLaren and Toro Rosso have developed in this direction. Force India and Haas offer an interim solution. In these cars, the flaps inside are similar to the outside. Red Bull and Renault are with their front wing concept in the Mercedes area. Whereby the Silver Arrows have an additional special feature compared to all others. The end plates are curved inwards. In all other cars they point towards the front wheel to the outside. To a maximum of 15 degrees as allowed by the regulations. The Mercedes approach is a bit surprising, because we thought that the engineers would do anything to bluff the air outside on the front wheels.
Where does Ferrari bring the downforce back? Ferrari and Sauber are clearly following the outwash principle with their winged architecture. The flat flaps on the end plates help the air bypass the outside of the front wheel. They forego the front wing significantly on downforce, but get between the wheels a clean flow to the rear. Mercedes and Red Bull put a lot of pressure on the front, but then have to deal with the turbulence generated by the wing. So they have to somehow direct the turbulent flow further back into orderly paths. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff wonders: "Somehow Ferrari and Sauber have to compensate for the loss of output. The question is how. "
There are different theories for that. Ferrari and Sauber benefit from a better vehicle balance. If you do not have that much downforce at the front, you do not have to pack so much in the back either. This reduces the air resistance, which has increased significantly this year because of the larger rear wing. We hear that Ferrari and Sauber are in the lead at top speed. That would speak for this thesis. Force India technical director Andy Green doubts that this is the secret. "This drag-down drag trade only works in a small window. If you give away too much downforce, you might get through a qualifying lap, but not in the race. Then the tires are suffering. "Green has another theory:" Ferrari and Sauber make their cars stronger. With this they get the front wing closer to the asphalt and thus get back the downforce, which they lose because of the smaller wing area. "
Ferrari concept hard to copy Sebastian Vettel's brilliant appearance on the first day of testing has taken many teams into pondering. Because Sauber also made a good figure. "All data in the wind tunnel were confirmed on the track, including those of the front wing," reveals team boss Frédéric Vasseur. This is the answer to the doubters who had already believed that Sauber had scored an own goal on his wing. An engineer said, "The concept with the flaps falling outwards looks wrong, but we'll have to try it out in the wind tunnel now." Interestingly, the statements of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen are almost congruent: "I had from the first round to a good driving experience.". Vettel added: "I can throw the car where I want." And Raikkonen was happy: "The fast laps were easy for me." In other words, both cars are a good throw.Mercedes and Red Bull try to stay calm. But the body language in both teams was already a certain unrest can be seen that Ferrari may have put on the right horse and you do not even. Both now take a closer look at the concept of the opponent. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff warns: "Everyone looks at the lap times, and everyone would like to stand in front. You have to be disciplined and the engineers have to do their job. The goal of the first test is not bests but to understand the car and collect data. "It would now be wrong to blindly copy Ferrari and Sauber. "You have to be true to your own philosophy and not allow yourself to be distracted too much by others."Red Bull team principal Christian Horner agrees: "It would not do any good to screw a Ferrari wing onto our car. He would not work there. "If it turns out that Ferrari is right, Mercedes and Red Bull have a problem. Mercedes more than Red Bull, because the car is less hired. The front wing itself would be copied quickly. "With the simpler wings, the production time has been reduced to a third compared to before," says Andy Green. But that alone would not be enough. Who wants to convert from the Mercedes wing to a Ferrari wing, must change the rest of the car with. And there would be a few weeks into the country until everything is reconciled. That could be crucial for the championship.
