As part of these improvements, a new floor and beam wing have been included, while the team continues to optimize its aerodynamic package during this first phase of the course.
The most interesting thing is that one of the novelties of the background includes a metallic tie rod, something that Alpine had not needed, as other teams had. While their rivals had used them to prevent ground flexing and porpoising , the French had avoided it, but on the other hand, they had been handicapped by having a bulkier bottom.
This was an aspect that Alpine technical director Pat Fry had pointed out earlier in the course, explaining that the rest had an advantage: “We designed our car for maximum performance, but accepting that it was going to be slightly heavier.”
“We put a lot of stiffness in the bottom and our wide upper body allows for a stronger installation,” he said in Saudi Arabia. “So that has helped us, to be honest, but when this was allowed, it was a bit frustrating.”
“We haven’t put it in because we’re strong enough in that aspect, and I hope that has helped other teams a lot. This is all part of the game, we have to take it on and design it for the next update,” he explained. “You can make a lighter car, but we’ve already spent some of that weight.”
However, it seems that Alpine have adopted the mindset that if you can’t beat them, join them, going for a floor that is now lighter to take advantage of the extra support.
The introduction of this element may have allowed the Gauls to reduce some of the weight and stiffness of the ground. The new background has been streamlined with a cropped design at the edges, with a larger, sloping section between the two angles forming a crescent (red arrow).
The design is reminiscent of the Red Bull RB18, as Alpine has joined the Austrians and Ferrari following the Aston Martin concept by adding fins to the keel (blue arrow).
Alpine A522 Floor Comparison
Alpine has also introduced new changes to the bottom edge (yellow line), which has proven to be a point of interest for the team this season, with geometry changed numerous times.
The new design maintains most of the surface area of its predecessor, but instead of having a sinuous drop where it intersects the ground, it now has a sharp edge, from which a more striking vortex is expected to come off.
Alpine weren’t the only team to bring some major upgrades to Imola, as AlphaTauri also opted for corrective surgery to try and raise the performance of their AT03.
This started at the front of the car, with a revised brake duct intake to alter the way cold air is collected and how the flow migrates around the entire package.
Alpha Tauri AT03 Brake Line Comparison
The narrow but high entry favored in the early races of the World Championship has given way to a more traditional ‘D’-shaped entry, which sits on both the inside and outside of the main vertical section.
This is a design technique used by many of its rivals, and allows airflow to be captured between this element and the sidewall of the tyre, as well as the protruding part of the intake.
The internal duct has had to be slightly modified to collect and send air to the brake caliper, and a heat reflective tape has been added to the disc cover.
Alpha Tauri AT03 Floor Comparison
The team has also taken care to perfect the background design, modifying the entrance and the edges for a better distribution between what this piece captures and what reaches the upper surface.
The new specification is based on a higher inner section, with a more abrupt curvature of the surface when it intersects with the inner trace (red arrow, box from the old specification).
Meanwhile, at the rear of the car, the Faenza team has not only moved the metal tie rod to a new position on the ground (red arrow, below), which alters the load profile in the section, but has also changed the curly edge ahead of rear tire and diffuser sidewall design.
Alpha Tauri AT03 floor comparison
As the green line indicates, the upward curved edge has become narrower, creating fewer junction points where the sections meet, but a ‘mouse house’ shaped hole has also appeared in the side wall of the diffuser, which is a feature that we have seen many of its rivals use, as it seeks to alter the strength of the vortex at the edge of this region.
