Caterham CT05, different front wing specs between Caterham drivers duo

 

 

   Kobayashi adopted since Melbourne a modified front wing, differing on cascade elements.from the previous spec. On the contrary Ericsson retained the old version for all four  non European races . However in Spain, Kobayashi paradoxically reversed to the old spec while Ericsson to the new.

    Different front wing set ups for a certain track, is quite common between drivers within the same team, caused mainly by how driving style suits to the car’s characteristic or when racing in mixed (dry/rainy) conditions . Cars with low front grip forces a driver, who likes understeer, to adopt a front wing that generates extra amounts of downforce and vice versa.

Sauber C33 – Front wing development before Melbourne

 

 

   After  Jerez test, Sauber tried a new front wing with a more boxy upper flap, revised  main lower flap with wider slot also colored differently (more white color on its surface) , relocated cascade pillar and a less ducted endplate with new terminal body.  The new wing  retained for Melbourne .

 

Ferrari F14T , new front wing since second Bahraini test

 

     Part of the upgrade package launched in second Bahraini test, was a front wing of new breed, much more sophisticated than the previous design. All crucial wing element-parts, like the upper flaps ( increased in number and reshaped both close to nose and endplates ),under flap vanes,  cascade elements , main flap close to the endplates and even the endplate itself ( less ducted with enlarged horizontal plate on top) are reshaped in an attempt to divert air more effectively  outwards the tyre profile and generate even greater amount of  downforce.

 

      However Alonso faced serious stability issues ( car bumping in vertical axis)  in Melbourne, probably caused by knowledge shortage in terms of adjusting/setting up properly the new wing on car.

Red Bull RB10 , front wing-launch spec

 

  Having a front wing close to perfection Red Bull pushes always for further improvements, thus much effort was put to improve airflow channeling under the wing profile with the aid of multiple vertical vanes. Additionally an adjuster (inset above) is planted on the middle section of the upper plane to allow faster and easier attack angle transitions. That adjuster of elegant aero neutral shape, is rotated outwards showing somehow  the actual route of airflow over the wing. A dual use of it in future would be to plant a heat sensor inside to monitor the tyre temperature in a similar way Mercedes does.

    The team followed a very aggressive front wing development program the recent past seasons, something considered certain to continue again this season .

 

Force India VJM07 – Front wing, Jerez test spec

   The front wing on the VJM07 follows a clear and obvious philosophy to divert airflow outwards as smoothly as possible, by introducing several vertical vanes on the planes, aided further by multi sectioned endplates . The need of creating front wings able to push air more efficiently  outwards the tyre profile is now of increased need because the wing span shrank by 15 cm in 2014 .

 

Marussia M03, nose and front wing – Jerez spec

   In Marussia case the nose ends to an interesting single keel extension with a tip as wide as necessary to obey the necessary minimum cross section dimensions (9000 square mm, highlighted in inset) . The nose keel starts wide but becomes gradually thinner at its tail to encourage more air flow under the nose cone , an approach not followed by  Caterham. I focus on Caterham because it is expected to be the major rival for Marussia for one more season .

    Front wing by first sight looks to share no similarities to last season, considered indeed  a huge step forward for the team. The tier of the wing itself increased close to the endplates to a 7-element one (No 1), while the inner section (No 4) slops downwards keeping with the help of the brake vane located further behind,  a smooth flow under the nose cone. The two Venturi channels (No 2) help to guide airflow away from tyre profile.  Endplates though still are underdeveloped compared to progress done on other wing parts .

Caterham CT05, front wing – Jerez spec analysis

 

    Caterham adopted a very thin and low nose tip extension to comply with new technical regulations aiming to drive air under the chassis from nose tip sides rather through the zone between the nose pillars . Only time will reveal whether that nose aero strategy approach is validated optimum or not . Front wing’s structural philosophy seems to undergone a shift from Red Bull school to Mercedes . Caterham CT05  front wing, now reduced in overall length, is loaded compared to last season, with aero tweaks in an attempt to maintain similar amounts of  downforce .  Some interesting spots on the wing are the vertical vanes (No 3 ), the multi-elemental endplate (No 5 ) and double sectioned cascades (No 4) . Under the nose cone a horizontal vane (No 2)  replaces the old channel forming vanes seen on CT03. Its function is  analogous in concept to Williams and Mc Laren snow plough design  raced few years ago .

 

Ferrari F14T , Front wing analysis – Jerez Test spec

    F1T4 front wing, as seen at Jerez, is consisted of three main elements (No 1) accompanied with double profiled wavy cascades (No 2)  and looks rather simplified compared to the one on Red Bull RB10. Endplates keep a Mc Larenish school ducted profile (No 3) with a sophisticated rear end (No 4) to divert air away from the tyre profile. In 2014 air diversion around  the tyre profile is of higher significance due to wing span shrinking by 15 cm  compared to last season. On endplate top there is a horizontal slotted triangular fin (No 5) to contribute to this air bending effect .

    An infra red sensor (No 6), copied from Mercedes, is planted close to the endplate inner surface to monitor tyre temperature. Tyres operate in optimum performance within a certain and relative narrow temperature window . Thus teams need to know at any given time the tyre’s compound temperature and try to correct it if necessary simply by informing driver to alter driving style or via braking bias .

    Finally a ride height sensor continues to exist , indirectly observed from the red laser spot on the floor (No 7 ).

Images credited to scuderia Ferrari 

 

 

Marussia MR02 – New front wing at Spain

    All teams are accustomed to bring new parts at the first European race, so did Marussia. The upgrade package included new floor and modified front wing with a slot-less second flap to favor downforce production . The funnel at the back of the engine cover, which was used in hot Bahraini conditions, was also discarded .

   At Monaco the previous front wing spec reappeared once again, but did not make it to race.

Marussia MR02 – Revised front wing at Australia

   A small but apparently significant change occurred on the rear profile of the endplate, so as to change the way airflow interacts with the tyre . Worth’s noticing the new fancy sponsor logo on the endplate surface, which may have no impact on the car’s speed, but beyond doubt ensures team’s future speed .

Marussia MR02 – New front wing at 2nd Barcelona test

    Marussia struggles to improve performance, targeting to beat Caterham team again this season. First fruits of hard labour arrived at second Barcelona test where a new front wing made debut. The new piece has four flaps in total, instead of three (no 1) to increase car pace in fast turns, the main flap has a redesigned upward step before it joins the endplates (no 2), the small flow conditioner (no 3) is discarded and new endplates (no 4) to suit better the higher tier wing .

Mc laren MP4/28- new simpler front wing before Melbourne

The new one has a flat main profile

   Mc Laren discarded the wavy front wing in second Barcelona test, adopting a simpler new one in an attempt to decrease front end pitch sensitivity and help mechanics to understand and overcome the by birth stubbornness of MP4/28 to set up ideally .

Related articles

• Mc Laren MP4/28 – winter testing (pre season) tech summary (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)

HRT F112 – New front wing hit first European race

 

       At Spain a new front wing made appearance with a revised and more elegant second flap . The horizontal slot that divided the second flap is now gone while the main flap turned from red to black color . HRT raced the new wing even at low downforce tracks of Canada , Belgium and Italy but of reduced attack angle to minimize drag .

    A positive change for the team was the addition of sponsorship logos at endplates since Belgium ( KH-7) and flaps since Monza (ermestel) . Sponshorship is vital for each team and one of its main economic funding sources .

 

“KH-7” logo addition on endplates at Belgium

 

“ermestel” logo addition on flaps at Monza

“Ventalia” type front wing on Ferrari F2012 –updates up to Hungary

      By the GP of Hungary Ferrari introduced at least 7 different front wing specs . The major wing revisions came alongside with extensive changes on the car reflecting the team’s will to erase the race pace handicap shown from early winter testing between the F2012 and the top cars (McLaren , Red Bull , Mercedes or even Lotus) . However some minor changes took place independently .

        The most striking feature of all concepts is the multiple flap design close to the endplates . At past Mc Laren raced with four or even five flapped wings but those concepts were abandoned due to revised 2009 technical rules . However slots on flaps are still allowed , a freedom which Ferrari took advantage to the maximum and opened a new era that I  call “a Ventalia” type design.

Spec : A           Debut : Launch      Raced : Australia , Malaysia
The most striking feature on the launch spec is the multiple slotted flap pattern that transforms the two flap concept into an effective four profiled .The gains in not only higher amount of downforce but also making the wing less sensitive to stall .

Spec: B                                                                                                                 Debut:pre season test at Barcelona on March                                  Raced:Not yet
It was obvious that lack of sufficient front downforce was among the major bugs of the new car that had to be solved .Thus a major wing update came at the third pre season test . The new wing had completely redesigned flaps including a different way the flaps attach to the endplate , triple slotted main flap and a large gurney tab pointed in green arrow. Modifications occurred also on cascades winglets and endplates which featured ducts to redirect air inside the wing area(all changes marked in yellow) . A more detailed look on the endplates reveals the strategy of Ferrari to redirect the lower flow inside the front tyres through the ducts while the upper flow is pushed away to the outer tyre surface .It is good to remember that Mc Laren curved the path of ducted endplates a few seasons ago .
The B spec was also tested at Malaysia and China . However the B version proved not suitable for the car needs thus never qualified to race .

Spec :C        Debut : China         Raced : Not yet
A modified B spec was brought at China lacking the large triangular gurney tab to benefit a greater top speed .

Spec : D         Debut : China , Raced : China , Bahrain
Ferrari raced in China with another new spec which included apart from the gurney tab lack , revised endplates and cascades ( in yellow) . The new upper deck has a deep cut close to the endplates to favor further drag cut .

Spec : D         Tested : Spain
It was also tested at Catalunya having a Santander logo addition on the endplates

Spec :E                  Debut: Mugello test on May                                     Raced: Spain, Monaco, Canada, Valencia, G.Britain,   Germany, Hungary
Mugello test was very fruitful for Ferrari as many new parts undergone evaluation testing , including new rear end , exhausts and a new front wing. Speaking for the front wing changes occurred on the wing sides and particularly the endplates. They may look similar at their lower part but the top is completely new , less curvy having a small horizontal triangular fin at the rear to improve airflow management close to the tyres . The top rear fin concept is not new but derives from older seasons .Moreover the cascade inner winglet adopted a new double profile and a revised trailing edge .Finally some modifications took place on the outer flap separator ( all changes are marked in yellow ) . Ferrari brought at Spain both E and D spec in order to perform a comparison test between the new and the old version.  Finally the nose pillars are half painted since in black carbon color .

Spec : F     Debut : Europe ( Valencia)      Raced : Not yet
This spec was tested at street circuit of Valencia , Silverstone and Hungaroring . It featured a new second flap which resembles more to launch spec , new flap separators and a deep cut on the triangular winglet of the endplate .The endplate itself inherited multiple ducts to enhance further the Ventalia concept efficiency .

Spec : G       Debut : Germany      Raced : Not yet
The latest update tested at Hochenheim and Hungaroring . It had modified endplates having even more ducts, five now instead of four , the cut on the winglet is gone and the flap separators gained a simpler appearance for both aero and mechanical reasons . Finally an extra slot was added on the second flap close to the endplates , increasing so the  effective profile of flaps from five to six !

 

HRT F112 – front wing development up to Bahrain

   A higher downforce front wing replaced the pre season testing version at Australia . The more advanced  Australian wing had additional upper decks ( in black) which boost downforce production . The upper decks have been reshaped at China and gained a bending downwards profile close now to the endplates .However  both the Australian and Chinese wing specs are not new but instead  copied from last season . Becomes apparent that low budget prevents the team to deliver new parts. Nonetheless HRT ,apart form the front wing, proceeded  to numerous revisions on the car up to Bahrain, including brake components , nose vanes , bargeboards  and rear end revisions  .

Williams FW34 – New front wing for Melbourne

  A new front wing appeared at Melbourne  after being  tested first at Barcelona on March . The new design has a completely new main plane close to the endplates  (1) ,  stepped central zone (2) ,  additional  “r” winglets (3) and redesigned flaps ( lower inner profile, having also a wider movable span)  (4) . The team with this new wing seeks improvement on airflow management around the front tyres area and furthermore around  the nose sides of the car .

Toro Rosso STR7 – New front wing for Melbourne

       Toro Rosso tested a new front wing at Barcelona on March  .The new wing has a shortened  slot in the main flap and also moved to the back to decrease the effective wing span in an attempt to make the wing less susceptible to sudden wing stalling (downforce loss) . Furthermore the main flap encounters  the endplates differently , the mini slot at the second flap close to the endplate is also new, while the endplate stand different on both rear end as well as to outer vertical elements .The new wing is being used by Toro Rosso since Melbourne .

Caterham CT01 – new front wing before season kick start

 

Team Caterham launched a brand new front wing of higher complexity before Melbourne but yet failed to challenge the established F1 teams . This wing of new breed bears no similarity to its predecessor on functional philoshophy . Flaps , cascades, endplates are all new,even the color of the flaps has changed from dark green to carbon black .Additionally the nose cameras were shifted lower between the wing pillars . Nevertheless the old spec was tested both at Melbourne and Sepang .

Red Bull RB8 – Front end changes at Malaysia

   At Malaysia Red Bull relocated the nose cameras to a lower position  inside the wing pillars .The new position , first seen in Red Bull  in 2010 , offers a small increase in downforce production , while former position a better airflow management around the nose cone .

Red Bull RB8 – revised front wing before Melbourne

The new wing was first tested in Barcelona on March

       Red Bull’s  front wing origins from late 2011 season and features a distinctive wavy profile of the flaps close to the central neutral section (pointed in red arrows) , which help to accelerate the air flowing under the wing  . However that wing was very efficient  for RB7 but proved to be problematic when applied on the new RB8 . The reason  can be searched to the fact that the new RB8 has less rake than RB7 which means that on RB8 the front wing stands higher from the ground level, so inevitably it is less efficient . The less rake for RB8 came as a direct effect of the ban of the exhaust blown diffuser which sealed partially the diffuser chambers and thus allowing Red Bull to have increased rake angle to the rear , something not possible to sustain for 2012 . In an attempt to improve front end stability   Red Bull, before Melbourne, decided to ditch the wavy  inner flaps profile and  revert to the old fashioned straight profile which provides lower pitch sensitivity .

Glossary

rake is the angle difference between the rear and front end of the car, so when the rear of the car is higher, the front of the car is going to be lower to the ground