Aston Martin is the team with the biggest update for the Spanish GP, but not all the changes are parallels with the RB18 .
First of all, Aston Martin has introduced a new rear wing configuration, which has the responsibility of increasing downforce for the challenges posed by both Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Monte Carlo, and that the wings they had before were not they would have resolved.
The design is more closely aligned with the one used at the Bahrain GP, where the elements pack more of the legal frame and are also angled more steeply.
The team has also used different downforce layouts at the other circuits, with a scoop design to help reduce downforce and drag at both Jeddah and Miami, while preferring one with a More conventional way in Imola.
Aston Martin AMR22 rear wing comparison
They’ve also made a number of changes to the Halo and fairing, including changing the front section from green paint to black, which begs the question why they didn’t decide to save even more weight and just go with the paint color. the carbon fiber.
The team also fitted a new pair of fins to the upper rear section of the Halo for FP1 and removed it during the session (red arrow), while another fin was added in front of the rear mount (blue arrow), which is likely to be an improvement. based on the side wing that has been attached and removed from the car during the first few races (purple arrow).
Aletines del Halo del Aston Martin AMR22
Going further down, the first elements we come across that bear all the hallmarks of the Red Bull RB18 design philosophy is Aston Martin’s switch to the dual outer floor wing concept which, until now, had been exclusive to Red Bull.
In addition to being stacked side by side, they also feature a staggered design before transitioning to the ground, which should produce vortices that interact with each other and increase yield locally as well as downstream.
Detalle lateral del Aston Martin AMR22
But the biggest change made by Aston Martin in Spain is the sidepods , as they have become the first team to make a U-turn and create something similar to another rival looking for more performance.
The difficulty of such a big change should also not be underestimated, as it has required not only aerodynamic rethinking of the external surfaces, but also adaptation of the internal design of the heat exchangers, electronics and accessories housed within the sidepods.
In its original appearance, the internals of the AMR22 sidepod (you can see it in the inset) were much more reclined, resulting in the “hanging” sidepod body philosophy that provided a large indentation for the airflow made an unobstructed journey along the side of the car.
To better manage airflow at the rear of the car, the designers also incorporated large cooling vents into the top surface of the sidepod.
Aston Martin AMR22 radiator layout comparison
The new configuration largely eliminates this layout, as the internal components have been reoriented, and the heat exchangers have been tilted to take a more conventional position within the interior.
As a consequence, the intake has also been pushed back, and the team hopes it will still provide the flow needed to cool the internals, but also influence external airflow more effectively.
Contributing to this is how the team has adapted the shape of the bodywork that surrounds the entrance, with a general design clearly influenced by the Red Bull RB18 but which requires its own interpretation to get the performance it is looking for. For example, the RB18 has an extended lip in front of the intake, which creates an open top, which in turn increases the volume of air that can be captured, but the AMR22 does not.
The sidepod’s shoulder also has a sharper surface than Red Bull’s, as Aston Martin designers find their own way to push the wake of the tire laterally it meets.
There is some similarity in the design of the rear view mirror housing, the stems, and the auxiliary fins that grow from them. But while the RB18’s rear-view mirror straddles the outer fin of the sidepod edge, the AMR22’s doesn’t, remaining independent of it.
The large front undercut and downward Z-shaped contour seen on the Red Bull sidepods are also present on the Aston Martin, seeping into another area where we can now see similarities between the two: the edge of the ground.
Aston Martin had already deployed a wing at the edge of the most central point of the ground, but it has been transformed to align with the new wider waist of the sidepods and features a slot in front of a wavy section before the ground narrows in front of the rear tire
It’s also worth noting that while much of the heat rejection work now falls to the rear cooling outlet (which has been enlarged), the team still has the option of opening up the cooling on the side of the car, with a design also similar to Red Bull.
Just as Red Bull has done, there are also options for how much of those cooling gills need to be opened so that aerodynamic performance isn’t compromised .
Aston Martin AMR22 chassis detail
Aston Martin AMR22 rear detail
