Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia
Analysis

Latest F1 2020 testing tech updates, straight from the track

Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images bring you an update of the best technical images from the Barcelona pitlane and track action on the first day of Formula 1 testing in 2020.

The rear of the Racing Point RP20

The rear of the Racing Point RP20

Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

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

Click on the arrows to cycle through the images below...

McLaren MCL35 steering wheel

McLaren MCL35 steering wheel

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A look at the McLaren MCL35’s steering wheel, which gives us a great overview of the various buttons, switches and rotaries used to control the various power unit functions.
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes F1 W11

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes F1 W11

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The rear end of the Mercedes W11 gives insight into this year's challenger. The packaging is tighter, including the narrow cooling outlet. Other novelties of note include the mid-wing that can be seen just popping out either side of the cooling outlet, with its downturned endplate. It’s also fascinating to see the lower winglets hanging down the side of the tyre.
Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo Racing C39

Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo Racing C39

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

In this image we’re paying attention to the Alfa Romeo C39’s halo, which sports an integrated winglet, a design feature that we saw from a large collection of the teams in the first season but one that’s since become far less fashionable.
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes F1 W11

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes F1 W11

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Bottas at the wheel of the Mercedes W11, just before the lunch break, and it’s worth noting the small line of kiel probes mounted on the floor around the entry to the ‘coke bottle’ region
The rear of the Racing Point RP20

The rear of the Racing Point RP20

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

This close up of the Racing Point RP20’s rear wing shows the synergy of design between it and last year’s Mercedes, as it not only features the sawtooth-style upper rear cutout but also the paired upwash strakes, all of which are the result of the teams trying to reduce drag.
Nose detail of the Ferrari SF1000

Nose detail of the Ferrari SF1000

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A close-up of the SF1000 nose tip and snowplow. Both have been redesigned and optimised in the wake of adding this solution during last year’s campaign.
Front wing detail of the Ferrari SF1000

Front wing detail of the Ferrari SF1000

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Ferrari's front wing may not look too dissimilar from the one sported last season but it has seen some delicate alterations to help improve performance. You’ll note a wavy trailing edge on the mainplane, something that’s mirrored on the all of the flaps above. A subtle geometric difference but one that’s born purely out of performance, as the Scuderia seeks to maximise stability at the front-end.
Racing Point RP20

Racing Point RP20

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A fantastic view of the side of the RP20 and various aerodynamic appendages that fill the void between the front suspension and sidepods. A few details to note are the small downwash winglets below the upper wishbone, the detached and fluted floor scrolls below the main venetian blind-style deflector panels and the very obvious downwashing flow diverters placed between the sidepod and vertical deflector panel that manage flow around the sidepods.
Red Bull Racing RB16 front brake detail

Red Bull Racing RB16 front brake detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull’s front brake assembly in a state of disassembly affords us the opportunity to see how airflow taken in by the enlarged inlet is passed through the structure.
Red Bull Racing RB16 front wing detail

Red Bull Racing RB16 front wing detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull conducts a front wing flex test, denoted by the use of small chequered stickers on the endplate to give a fixed reference point for a high-speed camera that will be focused on them capturing footage.
Ferrari SF1000

Ferrari SF1000

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Ferrari mechanics make adjustments to the rear suspension on the SF1000, also note the various vanes on the brake drum which characterises the movement of airflow in the air gap between the wheel rim and the drum.
Front detail on the Renault R.S.20

Front detail on the Renault R.S.20

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The Renault RS20 bulkhead, which features a keel-style design in order to better manage airflow beneath the car.
Brake detail on the Renault R.S.20

Brake detail on the Renault R.S.20

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

A close-up of the Renault RS20’s front brake duct reveals several details, including the use of mesh to prohibit the ingress of large pieces of debris into the duct, silver tape used to close off the vertical channel on the inside of the brake fence and also the little pitot tube taking measurements in the main inlet.
Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri AT01

Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri AT01

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

A rear-end shot of the Alpha Tauri AT01 with the diffuser slathered in flo-viz paint
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-20

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-20

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

This angle gives us a good idea of how certain aspects of the Haas may interact with one another, for example, look at the way in which the T-Wing protrudes from the sides of the halo and may also ‘see’ the airflow in that way.
McLaren MCL35

McLaren MCL35

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

A close-up of the McLaren MCL35’s rear-end shows how the team has two slightly different T-Wings stacked on top of one another, with small supports used at the outboard section to help with stability.
Nicholas Latifi, Williams FW43

Nicholas Latifi, Williams FW43

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

The Williams FW43 with flo-viz painted on the right-hand bargeboards, as the team looks for indications that what it saw back at the factory correlates with the real-world counterpart.
Daniel Ricciardo, Renault R.S.20

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault R.S.20

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

This angle of the Renault RS20 shows off its sleeker and domed nose and cape solution.
18

Read Also:

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article ESPN reveals early-season Formula 1 broadcast schedule
Next article Racing Point took “big risk” in following Mercedes aero route

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia