While it is true that many teams only showed parts of their real cars during the presentations, after the first tests it is clear that they are pushing hard to generate more downforce before the first race of the season arrives.
McLaren showed two different versions of the front wing when it presented the MCL36: the one from the renders and the one from the physical car that was revealed in its own factory.
However, it was pretty obvious that the one on the real car would be the one that would show up on track, as they were trying to hide some of the details with carbon fiber tape.
While the sides share the dipped center section to help direct airflow down the nose, the shape and connection of the second element and nose are slightly different.
Meanwhile, instead of being relatively similar in length to each of the elements (as shown in Giorgio Piola’s illustration), the wing consists of two short-chord upper fins and a larger main-chord plane and fin. secondary.
The outer section of the wing also does not have a cut in the surface as shown in the render (inset in the illustration). Instead, the fins tilt noticeably to promote greater current.
This is an area where we will see all the teams playing around with the new regulations, as bringing the airflow out will improve performance.
The team also shied away from revealing what tricks it might have up its sleeve on the ground sides, as it didn’t make sense to offer too much information to its rivals.
The background used by McLaren during testing is an example of everything they have learned over the course of the last few years, applying it to the new rules. That means they have to be even smarter than some of their rivals if they want to fit some slots or winglets to get around the very restrictive 2022 regulations.
The team took advantage of the regulations to use a section with flaps that separate from the floor itself, with a series of metal brackets used to reconnect it. This is also done in a way that influences the passage of airflow.
There are also various surface geometries in play, to artificially seal the edge of the flat bottom and prevent the passage of external flow.
Ferrari jumped into the pool in this regard on the third day of testing when the F1-75 was seen with a new solution on the edge of its flat bottom.
His solution also presented the cutoff allowed by the regulation. However, instead of the elongated fin that is disconnected from the edge of the flat bottom, they went with a bottom-mounted tab-shaped fin.
Haas also cut a small section off the edge of its flat bottom, and while it’s not as aggressive as some of the other solutions, it’s clear they’ve been working on it.
On the other hand, we already knew the corrugated section in the front part of the floor of Mercedes, since the W13 that was presented at the time also had that design.
However, while the other teams introduced more complex designs as testing progressed, Mercedes did not.
Although it has already been confirmed that the team will bring a new parts package to Bahrain, some of which will focus more on this region of the car and should alleviate another negative effect of the new rules that its rivals have also suffered from: porpoising .
To help manage the situation, all the teams have been working on the set-up of the car. But on the final day of testing, Mercedes added a metal brace in front of the rear tire to help stabilize the floor of their car.
The cooling of the 2022 F1 cars
F1 designers have a few more solutions at their disposal this year when it comes to engine cooling and its various systems. And while some teams have opted for big gills, Mercedes and Red Bull are two of the teams that have resisted the temptation.
His designs focus on the pontoon and engine cover that work without these cooling gills when temperatures are lower, and the interchangeable panels with gills are put in their place.
Mercedes had several designs that it wanted to test during the first test in this regard, with a couple of more conventional variations next to the cockpit, plus a more expansive panel with gills (illustrated, inset) around the power unit that it was also placed during the second day on track.
Meanwhile, Red Bull opted for a series of cooling gills to the side of the cockpit to help with the cooling of its Honda power unit. However, it seems obvious that a similar panel swap could be done with fewer gills depending on conditions.
Putting the brakes on
Continuing with Red Bull, we had the opportunity to see their front brakes in detail without the brake drum fitted, which revealed some interesting details given that teams have different parameters to consider this season.
Not being able to use a larger front brake assembly to dump airflow off the side of the wheels under the new rules, teams are focusing more on heat management.
Not only does Red Bull now power the ducts in and out of the caliper, but the setup they led to testing suggests the team intends to encapsulate the brake disc for a similar purpose.
