Formula 1 teams have not shared the exact weights of their cars, but it is understood that Red Bull’s RB18 is one of the heaviest on the grid. Part of the series of updates expected at upcoming races is believed to include the arrival of lighter components.
The first hint of its weight savings – albeit a minor one – came at the Australian Grand Prix. A new front wing design, which included both an aerodynamic revision and, according to its official explanation to the FIA, some weight-saving tweaks, could be seen on the RB18 in an attempt to reduce the bulk and overall weight of the assembly.
The changes to the front wing endplate are quite obvious when compared to the previous spec, as not only the leading and upper edges have been re-profiled, but also the diveplane.
The more angular leading edge of the endplate has given way to a much more gradual camber, which also reduces the length of the leading edge significantly, as the team looks to fine-tune the behavior of airflow ahead of the front tyre.
This is compounded by the advent of the S-shaped diveplane, which has the tail section set higher than the previous spec, while also being mounted closer to the trailing edge.
However, this shape means that this final section of the diveplane is not angled as aggressively as its predecessor.
It’s worth remembering that teams are very restricted in what they can do with the endplate and diveplane design, in order to limit the airflow that can be generated.
It’s also not the first time we’ve seen the S-shaped diveplane variant, as Alpine and Alfa Romeo also prefer this layout.
The improvements of other Formula 1 teams in the Australian GP 2022
In Australia, McLaren decided to change the layout of the rear brake wing, a component with which teams have far less design freedom than in the past.
But instead of removing material, as has been the trend so far, the team increased the size of the end of the fin (marked by the dotted line in the image to the right).
These fins are important if we take into account not only the local distribution of the flow, but also the impact they can have on the wake that comes off the tire and its accompanying diffuser, as even the smallest of changes can have a sizeable effect.
Alpine also investigated the impact of the changes to this area of the car, testing a new layout of it during free practice, but it does not appear to have been incorporated into the car for qualifying and the race.
However, the changes made to the outer area of the flat bottom did, as the team had already reworked the flat bottom design several times during testing and early races to optimize performance.
It is a change that seems to have an impact on the edge of the ground as well. While it is clear that the line of separation of the trapezoids has been moved up and back, to create a more defined trailing edge (dotted white line), the ground transition also appears to have a more convex shape (red arrow).
Much like the bargeboards that used to occupy this area of the car, the design of these wishbones is going to provide a great source of performance, not only on its own, but also when combined with any optimization done to the ground.
For the third successive race, Aston Martin used a different rear wing as the team sought the right balance between downforce and drag based on circuit conditions and characteristics.
In particular, this rear wing has a more traditional, flatter shape on the leading edge of the mainplane, rather than the spoon-shaped designs encouraged by the regulations.
Obviously, this characterizes the transition to the endplate, with a tighter radius depending on the configuration in question.
