Red Bull was able to fight for victory until their cars gave out in the closing laps, and part of that strong performance was thanks to adjustments they made to the rear wing, which produced less downforce and therefore less drag.
In the photo below, the design featured a more defined spoon shape, with a less abrupt roll of the endplate junction.
Red Bull RB18 rear wing comparison
It is much more similar to the designs presented by F1 before the arrival of the new cars. However, the redesign is not limited to the main plane, since the shape between the chord and the camber of the upper flap are also clearly differentiated.
It is worth noting the compensation that occurs in the upper corner of the tip between the two configurations of downforce, with a much shallower angle deployed in the design with which the Austrian team competes.
Meanwhile, the V-shaped center cutout is less aggressive, as it has less work to do in the race setting.
The new pontoons of the Alpine A522 of the F1 of 2022
Red Bull hasn’t been the only team to make aerodynamic adjustments since the Bahrain test, with Alpine making one of the biggest changes at first glance.
The French introduced a modified sidepod package , which not only affected the rear of the A522, but also significantly altered the single-seater’s aerodynamics.
Based on the setup they used in pre-season testing, with a ramp down solution, the bodywork now features a more pronounced outer ridge, which can be seen in the side profile, highlighted by the green line.
However, as we can see at the front, said ramp is a mechanism created by the body of the pontoon moving towards the center line, while the descending section is now more pronounced.
Alpine A522 Sidepod Comparison
It’s clear that the team hopes to provide a cleaner path for airflow into the bottleneck region, but the ridge that is generated on the inside also means the pontoon is narrower. This will have an impact on other surrounding flow structures, and will likely alter the pressure distribution in the rear tire.
The introduction of a new design did not go well, as both cars had this initial setup, but Ocon lost some of the bodywork in Free Practice 1, leaving a huge hole in the side of the car.
Without the necessary spare parts, the Frenchman was forced to use older parts for the rest of the weekend. Interestingly, while the cooling vents on the top surface of the sidepod were opened on the left side of Alonso’s car (pictured), the opposite was true on Ocon’s, with gills on the right side.
Small changes to the F1 Aston Martin AMR22 sidepods in 2022
Aston Martin AMR22 Comparison
Aston Martin also made modifications to the sidepods , although it was a relatively small change, with the radius of the lower outer corner of the inlet (red arrow) being increased.
This did not require a new body section, as the section was simply cut out and a piece was put on that was not there. The alteration obviously has an impact on airflow quality and intake, but it also reshapes the exterior of the car.
The team has fitted a set of fins to the halo as part of the update, and they are angled very steeply to correct the direction of the air, drawing it down over the top surface of the pontoon.
Detail of the Aston Martin AMR22
Red Bull gives you springs
Interestingly, several teams this season have introduced spring devices between the chassis and the ground to help stabilize it when it rubs against the tarmac. This is also about limiting wear and tear on the bottom, and goes beyond the thin metal braces we’ve seen others use, suggesting that some on the grid have understood the challenge of not touching the surface of the track.
Of course, the concept of the car is very different to what we were used to in recent Formula 1 history, with the nose down and sloping, and has been modified to a much flatter stance.
As teams want their cars to be as stiff as possible while being as low to the ground as possible to maximize the performance of the diffuser and Venturi tunnels, there was always going to be an early stage of development in the that the teams would look for ways to extract more power without compromising the handling.
Ferrari and Red Bull are among the few to use these spring devices, although they have all opted for different solutions. As we can see in the images below, the Italians have something similar to a shock absorber , while the Austrians have opted for a Belleville spring setup.
Ferrari F1-75 t-tray damper
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
