Seven Formula 1 teams have brought updates for their cars at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Most of their revisions are aimed at improving their straight-line performance at the high-speed Baku City Circuit. The track’s long straights, including the two-kilometre run to turn one, make maximum speed especially important at this circuit.
Several teams have therefore brought revised rear wings which are intended to reduce drag and increase speed. One notable exception is Red Bull, which is using a previous design of rear wing, as is its sister team AlphaTauri.
Haas, Williams and Aston Martin have not confirmed details of any changes to their cars for this weekend’s race. The other teams notified the FIA of the following updates:
Mercedes
Front Wing
Reason for change: Circuit specific – balance range
Difference: “Smaller chord and reduced angle of attack mid-chord flap elements”
Description: “The aim is to reduce front wing load efficiently to meet the aero balance requirements of this circuit. Whether we run this flap will depend a little on which rear wing level and balance we settle on during Friday practice.”
Sidepod Inlet
Reason for change: None
Difference: “Mirror stay lower extension”
Description: “The mirror stay is required to hold the mirror in place and this lower extension is a new part of the assembly that has run on the car since Bahrain winter test.”
Rear Wing
Reason for change: Performance – drag reduction
Difference: “Smaller upper rear wing”
Description: “Given the nature of the track, this rear wing generates less drag and downforce to allow greater top speed on the straights.”
Red Bull
Front Corner
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – cooling range
Difference: “Additional front brake and calliper cooling”
Description: “Building on the duct geometry that we took to Monaco, further improvements have been made to both front brake disc and calliper cooling.”
Floor Body
Reason for change: Reliability
Difference: “External wire added”
Description: “To better support the floor locally, an external stay has been added along with a minimal fairing for the outboard clevis.”
Floor Fences
Reason for change: Performance – local load
Difference: “Revised leading details for the fences”
Description: “The fillet radius of the floor surface has been reduced to revise the leading edge detail of the forward fences in pursuit of local load.”
Floor Edge
Reason for change: Performance – local load
Difference: “Revised to accommodate the fence change”
Description: “Revised geometry of the floor edge to match the changes further forward on the floor and the locally adverse pressure gradient.”
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Ferrari
Rear Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – drag range
Difference: “Lower Downforce Top Rear Wing design”
Description: “Already brought to Miami but not used, this component features depowered Top Rear Wing profiles in order to adapt to Baku City Circuit layout peculiarities and efficiency requirements”
Other – Please Specify
Reason for change: Performance – flow conditioning
Difference: “Rear view mirror update”
Description: “Not specific to this event/circuit layout, this is a minor update of the IB stay and chassis junction of the rear view mirror that provides a small improvement on flow conditioning and therefore positive for overall efficiency”
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McLaren
Rear Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – drag range
Difference: “Offloaded Rear Wing geometry.”
Description: “Given the high isochronal of this circuit, a new, less loaded Rear Wing geometry has been developed, efficiently reducing both Downforce and Drag.”
Coke/Engine Cover
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – cooling range
Difference: “Low Cooling Bodywork option.”
Description: “A reduced cooling bodywork has been developed to maximise aerodynamic performance, providing reduced Drag and improved rear downforce, to be used at cooling demand events.”
Front Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – balance range
Difference: “Reduced Balance Flap.”
Description: “A lower Balance Front Wing Flap has been developed to provide an appropriate balance adjustment range to go with the lower downforce rear wing assembly.”
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Alpine
Sidepod Inlet
Reason for change: Performance – drag reduction
Difference: “The sidepod inlets on both cars have been extended forwards compared to its previous design. “
Description: “The sidepod inlets are intended to improve drag reduction on the car and help to slightly improve front wheel rake control as well “
Rear Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – drag range
Difference: “The top part of the rear wing has changed. It has a shorter chord than its previous design.”
Description: “It’s a low downforce wing that is specific to the needs of the Baku City circuit which demands higher top speeds”
Beam Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – drag range
Difference: “The lower part of the rear wing is visibly different with a different arrangement of the two elements of the Beam Wing.”
Description: “The beam wing is intended to create lower drag and better aero efficiency for the car and again is specific to the Baku City Circuit. “
Front Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – drag range
Difference: “The front wing flap has changed and is now smaller than its previous design. “
Description: “The front wing flap is a lower aero load to match the lower downforce rear wings implemented here at the Baku City Circuit. “
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AlphaTauri
Front Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – balance range
Difference: “The rearward elements of the front wing have been reprofiled to reduce their chord and incidence.”
Description: “The update is designed to reduce the load of the front wing to provide the correct balance range for this specific track.”
Beam Wing
Reason for change: Performance – local load
Difference: “Both elements of the beam wing have been reprofiled to change their shape.”
Description: “The reprofiling of the beam wing has been done to increase the downforce on the elements and reduce their drag and thus increase the efficiency of the assembly.”
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Alfa Romeo
Front Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – balance range
Difference: “Two new trim lines on the two uppermost elements of the front wing.”
Description: “The new trimmed version of our previous front wing aim to reduce the aerodynamic balance of the car, in order to better suit the characteristics of the Baku track dictated by the rear wing choice.”
Rear Wing
Reason for change: Circuit-specific – drag range
Difference: “A new, reprofiled low-drag rear wing.”
Description: “The redesigned elements of the rear wing are designed to complement our medium-drag package, to respond to the characteristics of this track. “
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GeeMac (@geemac)
10th June 2022, 10:39
Red Bull’s rear wing looks like a barn door compared to the ones brought by Alpine and Mercedes.
RandomMallard
10th June 2022, 10:49
I agree with @geemac. That RB rear wing seems to have an extremely high angle to the horizontal. Is their strategy going to be to try and gain time in the corners here or do they think they’ll be using the DRS enough that it won’t make too much difference I wonder?
RandomMallard
10th June 2022, 11:22
That said, the Ferrari rear wing also looks like a brick wall this weekend.
theRealMax (@millionus)
10th June 2022, 20:54
Compared to the tea tray of Alpine.
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
10th June 2022, 12:54
Team: Haas
Change: Car encased in a Zorb
Reason for Change: To ensure Mick doesn’t break another one
Sorry – I’ll get my coat
@denn (@denn)
11th June 2022, 1:23
ha! COTD
Nick T.
10th June 2022, 13:43
Penny pinches at Williams once again come with zero upgrades.