Learn from F1 Coffee Corner - Terry Widdows - our technical correspondent about all things tech and car upgrades during each Formula 1 weekend!
With the lack of updates last week due to the sprint format, as we suspected the teams brought them in force for the end of the triple header... Although it must be said some brought more than others. Visa CashApp RB only brought a change to their Halo - whereas Haas delivered a huge update for their visit to Silverstone.
Apologies for it being late as whilst Silverstone may be the heart of British motorsport its certainly not the heart of Wifi... as many of the fans will be able to testify.
So let's take a look as always at the 5 updates that have caught my eye this week
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This is a subtle re-profiling of the surface above and behind the lower sis tube which the team have described as a change to get more energy to the floor edge wing by increasing the pressure. This change has been achieved by optimizing the floor surface on the upper part of then RB20 and, along with a floor edge change, will add more camber.
3 out of 5 McLaren updates were to the beam wing with the team announcing they had brought track specific high load, mid load, and low load with them to optimize the setup and increase their ability to challenge Red Bull. The idea behind these updates is to have the ability to trade drag and downforce along with the new rear wing update and work together to increase the rear end stability of the McLaren.
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This is an interesting update and one that seems to be linked to the Mercedes flexing front wing which has attempted to be replicated by Aston Martin. This change to the front view shape has been achieved with a modified twist distribution of the wing elements. This is all designed to change the spanwise by flexing it - which will help direct the flow of air - increasing downforce. These wings pass the FIA static tests but the onboard cameras are showing a great amount of flex when out on the track. Although currently the FIA have ruled they are legal - despite concerns from some teams. Will that remain in place or will a technical directive again be issued to the teams?
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Whilst a lot of the Haas' updates are not visible, one part of the new updates that certainly catches the eye is the sidepod inlet. This update is a longer, higher lip overbite. This update is all designed around channeling the flow of air more efficiently to the rear diffuser area of the car. This will reduce drag whilst increasing downforce to the floor - therefore enhancing the performance of the Haas. To help with this update there is also a small change to the coke/engine cover because the sidepod protrudes more towards the back. This change has combated that while serving the dual purpose of adding in some new cooling grills to the top if needed later on.
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A huge update to Haas is that they have brought a whole new floor to Silverstone. Changes to the floor body, fences and edge have all been introduced due to the changes made to the floor body. This means that they need all of these changes to optimize the new flow of air that the floor generates. All designed to increase the load and performance of the floor - this update along with the sidepod is a huge step from the team. They have the potential to propel the team up the grid, and i'm excited by all of these together to see how it performs out on the track.
That’s it for this week's updates the layout of Silverstone mixed with that ever changing British weather has the potential to throw up a few surprises with McLaren leading the way after Friday AND Mercedes on Saturday. The big question is will that be the case on Sunday and will the British public be celebrating a home win or will Max and the RB20 updates prove too strong once again for the challengers to their crown.
See you all for Hungary updates
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