Now that it is clear that teams can achieve extra performance from aerodynamics in the lower part of the car, both teams opted to make changes in that area for the French Grand Prix.
And it seems that an intriguing battlefield of detailed development is opening up between them, when it comes to trying to maximize how airflow is directed to the ground by the fences that surround it.
Red Bull, which has used a double outer fence concept since the start of the season, has decided to drop it in the latest update to its car. There, the inner part of those two fences moved further inland.
Placing the third fence closer to the inner two not only has an impact on the behavior of the airflow entering the tunnel from the ground, but it is also likely that that third fence will extend back below the ground like the inner ones. .
Previously it stopped to help enhance the vortex structure produced by the outermost fence.
This difference between the two uses of the third fence also means that it is not as tall as before, but is placed within the confines of the ground’s leading edge line, rather than above it, to work together. with the outermost fence.
Red Bull RB18 rear brake duct comparison
Red Bull has also made a subtle change to the rear of the car on the Paul Ricard, with an additional extra wing within the confines of the rear brake air intake (marked above with a red arrow, inset you see the old spec).
The result of the changes will be minimal, but it will provide a better path for the airflow to reach the pipe that feeds the caliper.
Comparison of the turning vanes of the Ferrari F1-75
Changes made by Ferrari also focused on the tunnel entrance for the lower floor, and were seen in the height of the leading edge from the ground and the fences.
As we can see from the comparison above, Ferrari has decided to create more of a two-tier layout, where the inner part of the ground’s leading edge is kept closer to the upper limit imposed by the regulations, while the outer section has been flattened
That lowering of the tunnel entrance in the outer section also means that the upper surface of the floor is now divided into two sections: the lower section is more or less flush with the edge of the side pillar, and the inner one goes into the recess of the side pillar.
There are also changes to the outer fence, as it is taller and has been extended forwards. There is also a lower cutout on the front section of the fence, as can be seen in the box below, showing the above specification.
Also visible are the dotted lines showing how the team has progressed from the first version of the fence, which was low, short, and level with the ground.
Comparison of the new floor of the Ferrari F1-75
The spaciousness of the floor redesign carries over to the underbody as well, as seen when Charles Leclerc’s car was removed from the circuit. The biggest change on that side is the boat-shaped bodywork that bridges the gap between the step and reference planes.
There Ferrari seems to have gone the way of Red Bull, as it has narrowed the entire section, but more towards the front, in an effort to improve the relationship with the fences that snake towards the edge of the ground.
Mercedes changes in your car in France
Mercedes introduced a major update package at the British Grand Prix, including increased volume around the inner front suspension, minor modifications to the number plate wing and frame canards , plus more extensive alterations to the floor. .
So they left little for the Austrian GP, but after Silverstone they followed up with another batch of smaller optimizations in France in order to balance their development throughout the season.
In this latest update, the Mercedes team has modified the front brake duct, increasing the size of the rear outlet and taking an interesting approach reminiscent of Russian dolls with the fins inside.
As we can see in its old layout (in the image below), the equipment already had the outlet segmented so that the different airflow channels had their own outlet.
However, with the new layout, it appears the team has opted to simply reject that heat and airflow at the larger outlet, and then manage the flow with smaller fins, similar to an S.
You also see the different color of the new inserts, which are not only 3D printed, but also have a surface coating to help manage heat.
Comparison of Mercedes W13 front brake duct outlet air intakes
The team has also made another change to an area of the car where it had already made adjustments, on the ground just ahead of the rear tyre.
That ground area helps manage airflow around the rear tire and therefore can influence ” tyre squirt “, the phenomenon whereby airflow is pushed laterally away from the tire when it deforms and contributes to weaken the performance of the diffuser.
Mercedes W13 rear detail
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