F1 2021 tech review images: Alfa Romeo, Haas & Williams
Join us as we take a look at some of the best technical illustrations and images, courtesy of Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images, starting with Haas, Alfa Romeo and Williams.
Williams FW43B engine detail
Giorgio Piola
Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
Giorgio Piola is the preeminent Formula 1 technical journalist. View our full selection of Giorgio's technical illustrative content
HAAS
Haas F1 Team VF-20 floor comparison
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The VF-21 is largely the same car that Haas competed with throughout 2020, albeit with the necessary adjustments made to comply with the new regulations. One such regulation change was the adoption of a tapered floor ahead of the rear tyre, which the team tested in 2020, shown here.
Haas VF-21 diffuser detail
Photo by: Uncredited
To compensate for some of the changes made upstream to comply with the new regulations, the team also made an alteration to the design of the diffuser, with a squared protuberance made in the outermost wall of the diffuser (see white lines), whilst the periphery Gurney-like flaps were also modified in response.
Haas VF-21 Cooling
Photo by: Uncredited
The team had various cooling solutions available to them throughout the season, with one of the largest rear cooling outlets used during the season seen here in Monaco, whilst the interchangeable louvered cooling panel selection can be seen in the insets.
Haas VF-21 gearbox detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
A close up of the gearbox carrier and rear crash structure used on the Haas VF-21
Haas VF-21 front
The front brake and suspension detail of the VF-21 is on show here as the car is prepared for action.
Mechanics work on the car of Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-21, in the garage
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Another shot of the VF-21 being worked on in the garage but this time note the asymmetric front brake duct layout, with the team opting for a different option on one side of the car to favour heat transfer, whilst on the other offering more aerodynamic support.
Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-21
Photo by: Uncredited
A great top-down overview of the VF-21’s bargeboard cluster and sidepod deflector region, also note the twisted strakes poking out from the upturned leading edge of the floor.
Haas VF-21 brake drum detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A close up of the front brake drum on the VF-21 with the more open basket arrangement, that allows the airflow bypassing the direct cooling passages to be affected by the rotation of the wheel rim.
Haas VF-21 brake drum detail
Photo by: Uncredited
In contrast the more closed front brake drum arrangement on the VF-21 with a couple of teardrop-shaped outlets that allow heat rejected by the brakes a passage to the void between the drum and wheel rim.
Haas VF-21 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A look under those covers, with the caliper, brake disc and bell all clearly visible.
Haas VF-21 steering wheel detail
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A peek over the shoulder of Mick Schumacher reveals some of the details of the VF-21’s steering wheel.
Wheel and brake detail of the Haas VF-21
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Haas opened a window into the future here, as they mounted a cross section of tyre on top of the regular one in order to show the difference in height for 2022, whilst also mounting the wheel wake deflector that will be used.
ALFA ROMEO
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 front wing end plate
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Alfa Romeo’s front wing footplate featured a novel design that allowed airflow to pass from the upper surface to the underside of the footplate.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 floor comparison
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Alfa Romeo was the last team to develop a Z-shaped floor cutout for the C41, with the team making the switch from the tapered solution for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 front brake detail
In this shot we are able to see the details that are usually buried beneath the brake drum bodywork. Note how the internal pipework is split into various channels to send the cool air collected by the inlet to the areas where it is needed most.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 front brake detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The front brake assembly with the brake drum bodywork attached for comparison gives a sense of the internal and external work that the airflow undergoes.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 rear brake detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The rear brake duct without the drum attached exposes some of the internal detail of the C41’s assembly - note the silver pipe that delivers cool air to the caliper.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 front suspension detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A close up of the inboard suspension elements that would ordinarily be covered up by the vanity panel.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 engine detail
Photo by: Uncredited
An interesting shot at the rear of the car with the engine cover removed shows one of the coolers placed behind the power unit and above the exhausts. Also note the shape and size of the twin rear wing mounting pillars.
Alfa Romeo C41 front wing detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The C41’s front wing differs in many ways to some of the other designs up and down the grid. Note the very large arc where the mainplane meets with the neutral section, the general shape of the mainplanes leading edge, the squared footplate and the twisted geometry of the flaps at the outboard end. Note also how the tip on the upper flap has been trimmed back too.
Steering wheel from the Alfa Romeo Racing C41
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The C41’s steering wheel layout with the various buttons, rotaries and switches used to control the power unit and chassis’ parameters.
Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41
Photo by: Uncredited
A top-down overview of the bargeboard cluster and sidepod deflector region on the C41, note the slots in the upper elements which are required to mirror those in the surfaces on the reference plane, below.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The C41’s diffuser as seen at the Turkish Grand Prix, featuring a row of mini vortex generators on the base of the ramped section. Also note the small cut midway up the flap housed under the rear crash structure.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 nose and front wing detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A rare opportunity to see the underside of a front wing reveals the short strakes used by Alfa Romeo to help alter the course of the airflow. Also note the inboard surface of the footplate which juts out into the flapped region.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The C41’s rear wing endplate, which has a similar DNA to the Ferrari and Mercedes solutions in the section that overhangs, whilst the forward-most section is detached from the main body of the wing in order to open a slot in the surface.
Alfa Romeo C41 rear wing detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The low downforce rear wing deployed by Alfa Romeo in Italy featured mounting pillars that appear to have been just cut off.
Alfa Romeo Racing mechanics carry the floor of one Alfa Romeo Racing C41
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
A fantastic view of the C41’s floor as it’s carried into the garage, note the complexity of the bargeboard cluster, the Z-shaped floor cutout and the various angled fins mounted in the section of floor ahead of it.
Mechanics carry the floor of an Alfa Romeo Racing C41 into the team's garage
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
From the other side we get to see how those details appear from the underside of the floor.
Alfa Romeo C41 cooling comparison
Photo by: Uncredited
A comparison of some of the cooling solutions used by Alfa Romeo during 2021.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Another shot of the C41’s diffuser, this time from the Austrian Grand Prix, noting the absence of the slotted flap housed between the diffuser and rear crash structure.
Alfa Romeo Racing C41 front brake duct detail
Photo by: Uncredited
This angle of the C41’s front brake duct shows the several rows of winglets stacked on the lower half of the assembly, whilst we can also see how prominent the pushrod extension is on the upright.
Alfa Romeo C41 bargeboards detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Comparison of the boomerang section in the bargeboard cluster which was updated at the Spanish Grand Prix (old specification, inset).
WILLIAMS
Williams FW43B bargeboard detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Williams made changes to the FW43B’s bargeboard cluster in the early stages of the season, as it looked to overcome some of the car's aerodynamic instability, which had been brought on by the changes made to areas of the car downstream due to the regulation changes.
Williams FW43B bargeboard comparison
This comparison shot highlights the changes made by the team, including the inclusion of the two downwashing wings hung from the boomerang (yellow highlight), the additional bank of fins mounted on top of the bargeboards footplate (red and green highlights) and the feather-like finish applied to the upper surface of the main element (blue highlight).
Williams FW43B floor detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Williams became the sixth team to switch to a Z-shaped floor when they introduced a new arrangement in Imola. As noted by the red arrows the team mounted a trio of angled fins on the juncture of the cutout and three ‘r’-shaped winglets midway along the cutout to help divert the airflow outboard.
Williams FW43B front wing comparison
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
This illustration shows the different upper flap layout on the Williams FW43B’s front wing for the extremely low downforce nature of Monza versus the higher downforce requirement of Sochi.
Williams FW43B, Mercedes engine detail
Photo by: Erik Junius
An amazing shot of the FW43B’s power unit installation, with the air-to-air intercooler mounted in the left-hand sidepod and the boost pipework snaking its way to and away from the power unit toward it. Also note how the exhaust intersects the gearbox carrier to make its way to the back of the power unit where the turbine section of the turbocharger is housed.
Williams FW43B rear wing detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Williams's very gentle spoon-shaped rear wing and double T-Wing solution
Williams FW43B garage
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
The FW43B in the garage being prepared for action with the front brakes exposed and in the background another shot of the gearbox carrier which shows how much of it is removed to allow the exhaust the passage it requires.
George Russell, Williams FW43B
Photo by: Uncredited
A top down overview of the Williams FW43B’s bargeboard cluster and sidepod deflector region.
Williams FW43B brake drum detail
Photo by: Uncredited
An overview of the FW43B’s brake duct which featured a drum design with a large bypass channel across the front section, allowing airflow taken in by the inlet to improve aerodynamic output.
Williams FW43B engine detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Another angle showing the power unit installation, gearbox carrier and rear suspension. Also note the exposed driveshaft.
Williams FW43B detail
Photo by: Uncredited
This angle of the front brake duct shows the winglets mounted on the end fence in the lower half of the assembly.
William FW43B floor comparison
The changes made to the FW43B’s floor at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the trio of winglets in the centre of the tapered section removed and the collection of fins ahead of the rear wheel on the edge of the floor increased in number.
William FW43B floor fins
The team also revised the fin layout beside the rear tyre, taking a design cue from Ferrari and applying vertical fins, rather than horizontal ones.
William FW43B diffuser comparison
The outer diffuser strakes were also shortened in the update that arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Williams FW43B front detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A close up of the front suspension's heave element at the French Grand Prix, note the use of Belleville springs.
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