FERRARI
By spending its tokens on the rear for 2021, Ferrari was unable to make any structural changes to its nose. However, an effort to improve flow around the chassis and incorporate a more prominent skin allowed the front wing mounting pillars to be narrowed to free up the necessary space.
Ferrari SF21 nose comparison
Ferrari SF21 chassis fins
The SF21 ‘s ‘S’ duct outlet was surrounded by four fins on each side of the chassis to help deflect surrounding airflow.
Ferrari SF21 floor
Having tested a 2021 floor specification in some free practice last season, the Scuderia implemented an initial solution with a conical floor, very similar to what the regulations required. This included a trio of wings in the middle of the length of the tapers, some fins on the outer edge of the floor, just before the tire, and a horizontal sheet that connected them to the inside of the tires.
They also added a trio of small fins next to the rear wheel to help mitigate any additional turbulence that could be caused by tire and regulation changes (red arrow).
Ferrari SF21 floor
The team went to the Z-cut floor at Imola, using an angled layout on the front joint to help promote the desired aerodynamic effect.
Ferrari SF21 floor comparison
Ferrari followed through with changes to the number and design of the fins mounted on the outer edge of the rear floorboard.
Ferrari SF21 rear wing at the Spanish GP
The high-downforce spoiler used by the Italians had elements that occupied a significant percentage of the permitted region and a double T-wing.
Ferrari SF21 rear wing in Azerbaijan GP qualifying
The lowest downforce specification compared without the T-wing.
Ferrari SF21 rear wing in FP1 of the Azerbaijan GP
The mid-downforce wing had a scoop-shaped mainplane to create more downforce in the center section of the wing, while reducing drag created at the edge of the wing.
Ferrari SF21 rear wing comparison
Ferrari also had some configurations for the front wing, with notable differences in the shape of the footplate and the position of the adjuster, which is what dictates the degree of wingspan of the wing.
Ferrari SF21 floor and rear wing detail
The trio of wings that had appeared as a solution to the tapered floor returned later in the season, this time applied to the floor in a Z-shape. tail.
Ferrari SF21 gearbox detail
Ferrari spent its 2021 dev tokens on gearbox mount for higher performance.
Lower part of the nose of the Ferrari SF21
Beneath the nose and between the wing pillars is a spacer (shown in yellow) that helps align airflow and take advantage of the now side-mounted skin. There is also a small entrance housed just behind the divider.
Ferrari SF21 brake drum detail
Ferrari introduced numerous brake ducts throughout the season, which offered optimal and necessary cooling to all components, as well as supporting aerodynamic performance.
Ferrari SF21 brake drum
Here is the more open design without the collar, showing the gap that is created between the two surfaces to help divert airflow.
Ferrari brake disc for 2022
In this version of the brake, additional space was opened around the disc to allow heat to be drawn through the drilled points. The team also introduced a new brake material and drilling pattern towards the end of the season, based on design research for 2022.
Detail of the vertical support of the extended suspension of the Ferrari SF21
Sticking with the front end of the SF21, here’s a bare suspension strut, showing the structure to help shed weight while maintaining the necessary stiffness. The pushrod extension allows this item to be mounted a little further out.
Steering wheel of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SF21
An illustration of the front of Charles Leclerc’s steering wheel, with all the buttons and switches to control the power unit and car settings. The Monegasque rider still uses the single wishbone type clutch lever (at the arrow).
Steering wheel of the Ferrari SF21 by Carlos Sainz
For comparison, here is Carlos Sainz’s steering wheel, which features the same button layout as his team-mate’s, but with different levers for the clutch.
Steering wheel of the Ferrari SF21 by Carlos Sainz
It’s even easier to see from the rear, as Sainz chose a layout similar to the ones he used at McLaren so he could quickly get up to speed in his new kit.
Ferrari SF21 brake drum
One of the SF21 front brake duct variants, without all the cover elements fitted.
Ferrari SF21 front brake detail
Ferrari uses a brake drum heater when the car is in the garage so that all components reach the ideal temperature.
Ferrari SF21 front brake detail
The more open version of Ferrari’s brake ducts include a wedge-shaped slat to help define the path of airflows from the section that bypasses them.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
A more detailed view of the fins mounted near the outlet of the ‘S’ shaped duct.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
A photograph of the trio of fins added to the central zone of the floor in the form of a Z.
Comparison of the ventilation slots of the Ferrari SF21
A look at some of the output specs for cooling the rear end used by Ferrari in the first half of the season, along with the louvered cooling panels located near the cockpit.
Ferrari SF21 rear wing detail
An image of the lower downforce rear wing used by Ferrari at the Belgian GP. The green dots are the ones used by the FIA as a reference when examining the videos from the cameras facing that area.
Ferrari SF21 front wing comparison
Comparison of the front wing used on Monza, with two upper flaps that were re-profiled.
Ferrari SF21 engine
A photo of the power unit taken at the Russian GP during assembly. It highlights how the exhaust pipes make their way under the engine structure and reach the gearbox, behind the power unit itself.
Ferrari SF21 rear brake drum and sensor detail
The team mounted its Kiel probe array to the rear of the SF21 during free practice for the Turkish GP to collect data on airflow behaviour.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
A closer view of the diffuser section and the Gurney-like extensions that run along its edge.
Detail of the rear of the Ferrari SF21
This image of the rear of the SF21 in the United States allows us to appreciate many details, such as the diffuser, the suspension, the fins of the brake lines, the rear cooling outlet, which is forward above the suspension.
Ferrari SF21 brake duct detail
For comparison, a photograph of the Mexican GP, where you can see that the rear cooling system is not as far ahead of the suspension, and is larger due to the demands of the circuit and the altitude.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
The pontoon of the SF21 without the body mounted allows us to see the arrangement of the stacked radiators inside it.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
The SF21 was equipped with two year-round pitot tubes on the ground.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
A close-up of the SF21’s bargeboard and pontoon deflector region. The Venetian blind section of the deflector is extended, rather than completely horizontal, to improve airflow.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
Here we go even deeper to see the bargeboard group with the arrangement of twin boomerangs with grooves in the surface, matching the recesses in the flat bottom.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
Another angle of the horns mounted to the side of the ‘S’ duct outlet.
Details of the Ferrari SF21
The airbox shape of the SF1000 and SF21 allowed Ferrari the space to have them mounted on the sides.
Ferrari SF21, in the box
Another shot of the SF21 in the garage with the front brake heaters mounted. Beneath the chassis are vanes that align with the skin when the nose is attached to form a longer aerodynamic surface.
Detail of the front suspension of the Ferrari SF21
Once the panel is removed, we can see some elements of the suspension of the SF21.
Ferrari SF21 camera detail
Here’s an image of the top of the car, where the camera is fitted and where crews can mount a bag of dry ice.
Steering wheel of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari SF21
A photograph of the rear view of Charles Leclerc’s steering wheel with various buttons and switches visible in the upper corners.
Detail of the rear sensors of the Ferrari SF21
This is the set of Kiel probes that returned to Abu Dhabi to collect data on the behavior of the car on the track.
MCLAREN
McLaren MCL35M diffuser detail
McLaren had a unique solution to the new technical regulations that the FIA introduced in early 2021 for rear diffusers. Those of Woking lowered 50 millimeters to comply with the regulations of the highest body, which was enacted to help reduce aerodynamic load. McLaren’s solution was to connect the central ramp of the diffuser to create a lower limit than intended.
McLaren MCL35M floor comparison
McLaren was the first team to trial a 2021 floor specification ahead of the season, when they fitted a conical floor to the MCL35 during free practice for the Belgian Grand Prix. The design was very similar to the one used for 2021, but this joined other elements that were introduced from the Spanish GP with the Z-shaped floor.
New McLaren MCLM35M front endplate
The MCL35’s front wing footplate had some features that set it apart from the rest and helped the car organize airflow direction and pressure distribution. Take a close look at the edge of this piece, which features a square design at the front, but blends with a more arched shape to accommodate the back of the section.
Floor of the McLaren MCL35M
McLaren introduced an update to the flat bottom at the Austrian GP, with an additional ‘r’-shaped fin just ahead of the rear tyres.
New bargeboards from McLaren MCL35M in Imola
The Woking team implemented a change in the design of the bargeboard and sidepod deflector during 2020, with solutions similar to those applied by other teams on the grid. Some of these were the Venetian blind baffle, the disconnected vertical baffle or the pontoon wing. In the following illustration we can see how the wings benefit the descending flow that protrudes from the main element of the vertical bargeboard.
Bargeboards del McLaren MCL35M
These downflow wings were exchanged for a more prominent boomerang, connecting the bargeboard to the foremost vertical element within the pontoon deflector assembly. The wings were mounted below, as indicated by the arrow, and were smaller than before.
Other improvements were also made, such as modifications to the edge of the floor, the implementation of angled strakes to help guide flow outwards (green arrow), and tighter bodywork with a cooling panel to the side of the cockpit that It is useful when greater aerodynamic efficiency is required.
McLaren MCL35M rear endplate detail
McLaren, like other teams, used sinuous grilles on the endplate section of the rear wing. Haas was the first to use it, however at the French GP the British added a similar, albeit inverted, version to the end of the endplate.
McLaren MCL35M front wing detail
Normally we focus on modifications to the rear of the cars to improve performance on the straights and achieve higher top speed at the Italian GP, but this needs to be balanced with the front of the car. The upper front wing flap was trimmed at the inboard end for improvement (red arrow).
Rear wing of the McLaren MCL35M at the Italian GP
McLaren’s rear wing specification for the Monza event received a change to the upper edge, with a height modification (shown in yellow in the picture).
Lando Norris, with wax on the rear wing of the McLaren MCL35M
The English team painted the rear wings with paraffin during free practice to visually check that it worked as expected.
McLaren MCL35M floor detail
A close-up of the wings mounted to the front of the ground and above the Z-shaped cutout.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M
More wax, this time on the rear suspension and brake lines for visual confirmation that the mods perform aerodynamically as expected.
McLaren MCL35M rear wing at the Russian GP
By comparison, the package’s high-downforce specification occupies more space in the double T-wing layout.
McLaren MCL35M rear wing
Here we can see the high downforce specification deployed at the Turkish Grand Prix.
Details of the bargeboard of the McLaren MCL35M
A great view of the group of bargeboards from above (pay attention to the slots in the upper elements so that they are reflected in the reference planes below). Also look at the metal inserts used to help maintain rigidity, especially when the parts start to wear down with use.
Detail of the McLaren MCL35M
The additional louvered cooling panels next to the cockpit that were used at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Detail of the McLaren MCL35M
A look inside the cabin of the MCL35M and, above all, the steering wheel, with all the buttons and switches that the driver uses to adjust the aspects that affect the behavior of the car and the power unit, as well as communicate with the team.
Detail of the McLaren MCL35M
The MCL35M being prepared for action in Abu Dhabi (in this image, the rear has not yet been installed, allowing a great view of the front area).
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M
A nice overhead view of the MCL35M showing many of the details on the front of the car.
McLaren MCL35M brake drum
An illustration of the brake duct reveals some details of how airflow is conveyed and the components that need to be cooled, while serving to balance tire temperature and aid aerodynamics.
McLaren MCL35M brake drum
The duct cover has several channels that provide an outlet for airflow and does not generate too much heat on the brakes.
Detail of the McLaren MCL35M
A more detailed photograph of the MCL35M diffuser at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M
The team also used paraffin on the bargeboards during free practice at the Hungaroring to ensure the on-track performance matched what they expected from their wind tunnel simulations.
McLaren MCL35M cooling output comparison
Four of the different rear cooling outlet packages used by McLaren during 2021. The Brits were looking for the right balance between expelling heat and aerodynamic efficiency.
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M
A great image in perfect conditions to show the vortices created in the rear wing.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M
A general view of the bargeboard, sidepod deflectors and floor of Lando Norris’s MCL35M in the pitlane at the Dutch Grand Prix.
