TECHNICAL: Similar high-downforce rear wing designs for the leading teams at the Hungaroring
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Formula One's current four leading teams - Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren - have come up with very similar rear wing configurations for this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo delivers his latest tech analysis from the Hungaroring.
Layout and aerodynamic requirements
This weekend, the Hungarian round takes place from 19 to 21 July, a classic long-term fixture on the calendar. Cars must run with a high level of aerodynamic downforce, almost on a par with Monaco.
Another vital factor to take into consideration is the weather which has been extremely hot in Hungary for the last two weeks with the ambient temperatures having exceeded 35 degree Celsius.
As far as the layout is concerned, the Hungaroring is very twisty with only one real straight that includes the start-finish line. It provides the most likely, if not the only, overtaking opportunity.
There are 14 corners, six to the left and eight to the right, some of them being 180° turns. The track climbs and drops and its 4.381 kilometres make it one of the shortest on the calendar.
There are two DRS zones: one on the start-finish straight and the other much shorter on the descent from turn 1 to 2, with just the one detection zone before the entry into the final corner.
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Rear wings
The last grands prix saw the four leading teams use rear wing assemblies that featured key differences. The images of the respected journalist Albert Fabrega reveal that the high-downforce Hungaroring rear wings of Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes are fairly similar in many aspects.
Despite the similar configuration, there are slight differences to the way the four outfits intend to produce the similar level of downforce with their rear wing.
Interestingly, McLaren's and Ferrari's rear wing feature extremely similar design solutions. The main planes feature a moderate spoon-shaped design with the central section of the trailing edge being linear and the outer edges following a relatively high concave curvature.
The flaps are also similar with slight differences. McLaren usually uses a V-shaped cut-out on the flap of its rear wings which the Hungaroring version also featuring it, but only a tiny one.
Ferrari once again refused to use any cut-outs. The tip section of both flaps are retangular, but McLaren's solution is slightly swept backwards.
The main plane of Mercedes and Red Bull's rear wing sports a more pronounced spoon-shaped central section than what Ferrari and McLaren elected to pursue. Red Bull opted for a rather big V-shaped cut-out, and for a top section that is identical to Ferrari's one.
The flap of Mercedes' rear wing does not feature any cut-out, following Ferrari's approach, but the tip section is slightly swept backwards similar to McLaren.
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