We are finally here! The time for talking and guessing is over, and it's time to see exactly who has made steps forward in Formula 1.
As we enter the first round, the upgrades list is huge - with technically each team upgrading their cars with what's classed as multiple upgrades. I've picked the ones that have caught my eye as we enter the race weekend.
One important note is that with all of the upgrades the team do have the option up until parc ferme to change things around. That being said, just because it's featured here on the list it doesn't mean the 'upgrade' will still be here come qualifying especially with things such as rear wings. So here are my top 5 takeaways!
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If you take a close look at the Red Bull floor, you will notice that the floor edge is very jagged. The reason for this is to increase performance by harnessing the performance from the jagged edge. It's not being used to guide the air further down and is very aggressive design. The inspiration for this comes from competitor cars and shapes and is there to ensure that the increase in performance it brings does not impact on the stability of the car.
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The new triangular shaped sidepod inlets on the W15 has been introduced this year alongside the new front wing that was highlighted last week. These inlets have been designed with the purpose of improving the floor to the radiator for cooling. They also have a function working in tandem with the new front wing to improve the flow to the rear of the car floor to increase the performance of the floor. You will also notice a distinct difference in the floor edge of the Mercedes compared to the aggressive design of the RB20 in the 1st picture.
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Introduction of these cooling inlets that have been introduced by Stake F1 as part of their completed floor body design introduced on the Keel. These inlets are aimed at providing cooling to the electrical components. Whilst they are not an aero function they are quite unique to what we have seen so far on track, and could be an interesting cooling innovation.
A look at the inside of the new front of the AMR 24 which is showing a significantly smaller, revised mounting position. This innovation has enabled Aston Martin to produce a shorter nose on the AMR 23. The mounting position, along with the new front wing is aimed at improving the load distribution of the front wing.
One of the differences we are seeing this weekend is the rear wing configurations of the teams. The configuration selected is always a trade off between the higher the wing level is and the more downforce it creates - which will improve grip but will also increase drag and reduce the straight line speed of the cars. The teams have gone with the following:
Redbull and McLaren have gone for a medium to high load which will give more grip and less top speed.
Mercedes, Alpine and Aston Martin have tried to go with a balance with medium load wings
Ferrari, VCARB and Williams have gone for less grip and more straight line speed with medium to low rear wing configurations.
Not long to see now who has got it right and also who still has work to do before the race!
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