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Latest F1 tech updates from Barcelona testing

After the Spanish Grand Prix, F1 stayed on for a couple of days of testing – our intrepid snappers reveal the technical aspects that were on show in the Barcelona pitlane.

Carlos Sainz Jr., Renault Sport F1 Team R.S. 18

Renault moved its wastegate outlets alongside the main exhaust on the RS18 to test the blown effect it has on their rear wing. Note the vast array of temperature strips mounted on the mainplane and top flap.

Sauber has infra-red temperature cameras mounted in their mirrors looking at the surface of the front tyre in order to collect data.

A nice side-on view of the RB14’s diffuser.

Lewis Hamilton at the wheel of his Mercedes W09 with Kiel probe arrays mounted behind the front wheels.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB14 with aero sensor

Red Bull have Kiel probe arrays mounted behind the front wheels to collect airflow data.

Ferrari ran extremely wide Kiel probe arrays mounted behind the front wheels collecting data on the front wing outwash. Note the team still have their halo mounted mirrors on the car.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 with rear wing lights

Mercedes tested high-mounted rear lights, embedded within their rear wing endplates, as part of a test for the FIA.

A great of view of the STR13, note the spoon shaped rear wing and sculpted T-Wing.

An unusual view of the VJM11’s bargeboards and deflectors, unmounted from the car!

The halo-mounted wing mirrors and winglet used by Ferrari in Spain, which will be outlawed from now on.

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren MCL33 with aero sensors

McLaren mounted a Kiel probe array between the front wheel and sidepod in order to evaluate the airflows characteristics. The team revised the sidepod deflectors in Spain and so it's correlating the captured data with that shown in CFD and the windtunnel.

The Sauber C37’s front brake duct and suspension is painted with flo-viz to evaluate the performance of those components.

Top view of the Mercedes W09 reveals the six new vortex generators placed on the surface of the sidepod to reduce lift and improve flow over them.

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren MCL33 with aero paint on rear diffuser

The McLaren MCL33’s diffuser painted with flo-viz to check that it's performing as expected.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 with aero sensor on rear wing

The W09 outfitted with Kiel probe arrays in order to understand how the diffuser and rear wheel wake are interacting with one another. Also note the use of the spoon shaped rear wing, rather than the conventional one, suggesting the team is looking at future set-up options.

Jack Aitken, Renault Sport F1 Team R.S. 18

Renault ran very specifically-shaped Kiel probe arrays measuring the wake generated by the front wheel and how this will affect the sidepods downstream.

The Renault RS18 with sensors mounted around the exhaust and wastegates to gather data, whilst temperature strips are also affixed to various areas to monitor temperature fluctuations.

Nicholas Latifi, Force India VJM11 with aero sensor

The Force India VJM11 with a low mounted Kiel probe array behind the front wheel gathers data on the airflow that passes by.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 with lights on rear wing

The Mercedes W09 being tested with a chimney style outlet in the fin of the engine cover.

Flo-viz paint is applied to the floor and brake ducts at the rear of the C37 as Sauber evaluate how those details are currently performing and how they might be able to be improved.