Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis

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Formula 1 Analysis

Latest tech updates from F1 test as new Ferrari wing appears

The second and final pre-season Formula 1 test at Barcelona got underway this morning with teams already rolling out their latest parts.

By:

Giorgio Piola

Co-author:

Matt Somerfield

Feb 26, 2020, 9:56 AM

Ferrari SF1000 rear

1/25

The Ferrari SF1000 ran with a new engine cover this morning. The new design creates an enlarged shark-fin area and more tapered bodywork for the cooling outlet, which itself is minimised too.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari SF1000 rear wing

2/25

Ferrari have a new wing to test for the second week of pre-season testing, as they look to trade-off some downforce in favor of drag reduction. The wing features a gentle curvature to the outer edges, creating a spoon-shaped design, much like the ones we've seen from Ferrari and other teams in the past.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Williams FW43 front wing

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A new front wing on the Williams FW43 for the first day of the second test in Barcelona, as the team looks to understand the changes early on. The modifications include cuts added into the inner flap tips, whilst the geometry of the upper flap is also different.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing RB16

4/25

Top-down overview of the Red Bull RB16 with flo-viz applied to the halo so that the team can assess how airflow is moving over the structure.

Photo by: Franco Nugnes

Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing RB16

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A picture showing some of the flo-viz on the rear of the car that’s migrated from the main application point on the halo.

Photo by: Franco Nugnes

Renault F1 Team R.S.20 rear

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Renault also has kiel probe rakes fitted to the RS20, with rakes mounted ahead of the rear wheels too. Note the difference in frequency of kiel probes on the Renault rakes, as it looks to collect the data in a way that suits its specific criteria.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren MCL35

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McLaren with a kiel probe rake mounted behind the front wheels too, note how its design differs in layout too.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W11

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Mercedes out early doors with a kiel probe rake mounted behind the car, recording data that can later be analysed for correlation and performance improvement purposes.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Alfa Romeo C39 front wing

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A close-up of the Alfa Romeo C39’s front wing, which carries the main DNA of last year's wing, utilising the ‘unloaded’ style outer section. This week's variant currently has a shallower top flap than the one used last week though.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Haas F1 Team VF20 front suspension

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A close-up of the Haas VF20’s under nose/chassis turning vanes which are less complex than their predecessors at this stage, owing to the removal of the hedgehog fins mounted on the footplate.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Haas F1 Team VF-19 turning vanes detail

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As a comparison the VF19’s turning vane arrangement.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Lance Stroll, Racing Point RP20

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The Racing Point RP20 with the bullet-style camera housings mounted on the side of the airbox. Enclosed within are thermal imaging cameras that capture data from all four tyres as the driver circulates and can be used by the team to understand how to improve wear and increase performance.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Red Bull Racing RB16 rear detail

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The Red Bull RB16 with small chequered stickers on certain points on the rear wing, which are used as reference points for high-speed cameras that are mounted on the car and recording footage of how the wing moves around.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

McLaren MCL35 diffuser detail

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McLaren has a new diffuser for the second test, this one much less squared-off in the outer section than its predecessor, with the Gurney-like extensions also following suit.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull Racing RB16 rear wing detail

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Another view of the Red Bull rear wing and the chequered stickers placed around the assembly to help the team understand where it’s flexing.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Racing Point RP20 detail

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A close-up of the Racing Point rear wheel rims, which you'll note have a knurled surface to help with heat dissipation.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

McLaren MCL35 front wing end plates

17/25

A good look at the footplate design introduced by McLaren on the last day of the first pre-season test. The footplate itself is much flatter than before, with only a small arc present on the underside of the element, whilst on the upper, now flatter surface, an L-Shaped Gurney like extension has been added. The bluff outer body appears to have a clam-like shape, allowing airflow to migrate under the surface.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT01

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Alpha Tauri with a kiel probe rake mounted on the rear-end of the AT01, measuring flow around the sidepods, engine cover and floor.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF1000

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Ferrari utilised some flo-viz paint in the early phase of the morning session, collecting visual data on the airflows performance from the nose, cape and turning vanes on the inboard section of the car, whilst also paying attention to the brake ducts too.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Alfa Romeo Racing C39 detail

20/25

Alfa Romeo arrived with these new 'bunny ears' on top of their chassis for the second pre-season test, having used a different solution in 2019. The new design features two L-shaped elements utilised, which are then split into two more surfaces in the horizontal region.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Alfa Romeo Racing C38 fins

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Last season, Alfa Romeo used a different solution to the rest of the field in this region, opting for these hedgehog fins instead.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo Racing C39 in the garage

22/25

In this picture of the Alfa Romeo C39 we can see how the team is playing around with its brake cooling, using foil tape to cover off certain apertures in order they can get the best aero, cooling and braking performance for the current conditions. Note how that means closing off the window above the brake disc entirely on the left-hand brake drum.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Nicholas Latifi, Williams FW43

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Williams with a smaller pair of kiel probe rakes behind the inboard section of the wing to gather data for back-to-back analysis, as this is where most of the changes have appeared on their new wing.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF1000

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Another rearward shot of the Ferrari SF1000, showing off its spoon-shaped rear wing and the changes made to the bodywork around the cooling outlet, which is also now finished with a laquered paint effect, rather the matte finish on the rest of the car.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes F1 W11 diffuser detail