Learn from F1 Coffee Corner - Terry Widdows - our technical correspondent about all things tech and car upgrades during each Formula 1 weekend!
As we head into the final race before the summer break - while the teams may be getting ready for a summer holiday - the updates have not yet shown any sign of slowing down. Seven of the ten teams have arrived in Belgium with updates to their cars. While there are no updates for Red Bull, there is, of course, the interest in their car as they revert Max Verstappen’s car to the pre- Hungary model. This means the Red Bull will have a familiar look returning for this weekend.
As we discussed last week, we are seeing the first of the FIA investigations into Front Wing Flexing with Aston Martin, Ferrari, Stake and McLaren (there may be more) amongst the teams to be fitted with the dots and the 4k cameras to see how much they flex out on track.
So with that in mind let's jump into the updates that have caught my eye in the Spa Pit lane
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With 5 updates to the W15, this is one of the biggest packages that Mercedes have brought in a while - especially considering only one is circuit specific.
The most noticeable is this Red Bull inspired floor edge that, over the course of the season, has been developed every so slightly. The latest introduction is described as a floor edge wing with additional flap element added over the forward section. This is designed to drop the pressure behind the fences.
The fences direct the dirty air - which is created from the wake of the wheels and suspension arms, generating small vortices on the floor. This in turn helps with the downforce of the car by increasing the load at the front of the floor. The floor optimization is achieved by increasing downforce, minimizing drag, and optimizing the aerodynamic efficiency to become faster.
Mercedes have also brought updates to the diffuser, beam wing, front wing, and a slight change to the Halo - where they have removed a flap element from the fairing to reduce local downwash and drag.
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The team have only brought with them circuit specific updates, but these should not be underestimated... Especially considering the recent success of the team and their development route they have taken so far.
One of these updates is the rear wing. This is a low downforce spec which is less loaded - with the aim of reducing the drag so they do not lose too much time in those long straights but still hold the ability to corner well in the more complex part of the track. This is complemented by a beam wing update and a rear corner update involving the rear brake duct to go alongside this as a complete package.
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It’s not just the special livery that is new on the Alpine, as they bring 6 updates with them this weekend. I’ve highlighted a couple for a closer look here - starting with the coke/engine cover. This has been redesigned as part of the normal developmental cycle and is aimed at improving the overall cooling efficiency of the Alpine by redistributing the internal airflow and reducing drag. Given their engine performance this updated is going to be needed around here.
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This new front wing on the Alpine has re-profiled wing flap elements - obviously, a hot topic at the moment with the checks going on by the FIA.
This new wing has the ability to use different profiles to enable the team to cover the balance needed for lower downforce races. The aim is to maximize the airflow to the underside of the nose, because that airflow is what is pulled to the leading edge of the floor. The more energy that arrives at the underfloor, the more downforce it creates. The flaps direct the air that is coming over the front wing up over the car, while allowing some through the small gaps.
You will notice these settings are often changed in pit stops depending on conditions - which adjusts these gaps to change the angle and help with setup. The other updates for Alpine are to the rear corner, beam wing, rear wing and a new mirror stay.
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Stake are another team who have brought quite a few updates to Spa, with 5 listed by the team. Here they have on display their new rear wing, which has a redesigned upper flap to it. This has been brought with them to cope with the low drag requirements at Spa. This will improve the aero efficiency of the rear wing as they go in search of points for the first time this season. The team also have updates to the mirror stay, the floor fences, front wing and also the beam wing to help their pursuit of points in Spa.
I hope you have enjoyed the tech corner so far this season and want to take the opportunity to thank you for the support in the first half of the season and the tech corner will be back after the summer break for the Netherlands Grand Prix.
Have a great summer break.
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