Archive
Sauber C33 – fully “decorated” car after Jerez test
The car tested in Jerez (pre session test) was stripped of significant aerodynamic elements like sidepod panels and nose vanes because the team focused solely on improving and checking mechanical reliability instead of pushing for the ultimate time. This changed soon after the first test as wide vertical panels attached on sidepods alongside with lateral flow conditioners and skirts added under the nose where the suspension wishbones meet the chassis.
Williams FW36 – care on tyres
After Jerez test a heat sensor appeared on the inner surface of sidepod panel’s body to monitor front tyre performance . Sauber and Ferrari are other examples that used analogous sensors in that zone.
Marussia M03 – middle zone upgrades in 1st Bahrain test
Apart from the introduction of vertical twin element sidepod panel, a single short vane also appeared on the top of the sidepod, with both additions to offer better airflow management towards the rear of the car.
Mc Laren MP4/29 – middle zone aero development at Jerez Test
It was surprising to see Mc Laren adopting a relative short, missing the complexity of former seasons, vertical sidepod panel on the MP4/29 . The answer however to this was given shortly on the first test at Jerez with the team to add a chimney just above the panel for enhancing cooling. That chimney simply does not leave enough free space for the panel itself to develop vertically. Chimneys lastly introduced as cooling solution on cars back in 2001 again on a Mc Laren car and onwards for a few years more. Its shape and use gradually evolved and expanded, in some cases combined with a side winglet (Williams), in others used sealed solely as flow conditioner (Ferrari) or even housed the periscope exhaust tailpipes (Ferrari and Jordan ) .
Another new feature on the MP4/29, not present on Launch, was the addition of double vertical flow conditioners on sidepods .
Lotus E21 – Innovative serrated bargeboards and middle zone updates before Melbourne
Lotus literally works overtime to constantly improve performance and thus frequently presents new aero components on its cars . This time several middle zones updates followed the introduction of a modified front wing at last pre season test in Barcelona . The upgrade package included apart from innovative serrated bargeboards, a relocated closer to the car body sidepod panel ( yellow double-edged arrow shows the volume between the panel and the car body) and an additional element which leans outwards, inspired by Sauber’s former cars .
Launch spec – the highlighted in yellow “π shaped” tab helps to drive air upwards and away from the car to seal as possible the underbody aerodynamics .
Barcelona Test on March – the yellow double edged arrow shows the volume between the panel and the car body which is now decreased compared to previous version , all changes are highlighted in orange color
The new philosophy is to speed up the air flowing through this zone, due to now less available volume, while the serrated bargeboards bleeds portions of air to cut drag . The total volume of air may now be lesser but the increased speed counters this negative effect . The low height and leaning outwards extra vane helps to decrease further drag and provide a cleaner airflow towards the rear of the car . All changes aim to create more downforce especially when the cars changes directions .
Serrated bargeboards may look brand new and innovative but spring their origins a decade back to Ferrari saw-tooth bargeboards .
HRT F112 – A Two year step back on development for bargeboard at Spain
F112 launch version lacked any bargeboards but soon a set of 2011 (F111) alike flow conditioners added on the car before Melbourne . At Spain the team moved not a year back but two instead by placing a 2010 (F110) alike set ! The two years dated bargeboard has a saw tooth upper profile and does not extend behind the sidepod panel (no1 in the image below) but ends exactly where the floor surface starts . That itself proves that old parts could sometimes be more effective than newer ones and should never be forgotten .Worth’s remembering though that F112 chassis is based on the same 2010 Dallara chassis opted to regulation changes .
The new bargeboards dictated the sidepod panel’s vertical slot to move slightly to the rear (no 3) , some changes to the rear zone and finally the floor vanes become thicker , longer and more aerodynamic (no 2) to cope better with the new set .
Red Bull RB8 – new sidepod panels before Melbourne
New on the left , old on the right
The new panels were first tested in Barcelona test on March
New sidepod panels have also been placed on the car before Melbourne. Old panel had a wing-alike joint that connected the middle of the panel to the chassis .The new one has a top extension that bents vertically inwards to meet the sidepod roof, resembling more to a ‘biting jaws’ style connection , which is less draggy, leaving more room for air to pass through the panel and the car body guaranteeing a richer flow to the rear .
Many updates on Sauber C31 before Melbourne
The blue labels in the photos above are temperature indication stickers , used by teams to track down temperature along the route of the hot gases .
In addition to changes concerning C31 cooling, many other revisions took place on the car before Melbourne . The rear silhouette of the sidepod tunnels was heavily modified after launch at Jerez test . The new longer tunnels expand smoothly to reach floor level in a such way to guide more drastically the exhaust gases towards the inside area of the rear wheel profile and reach the diffuser . To enhance the effect further, a channel is sculpted behind the periscope exhausts and later at Barcelona test on February a vertical fence was added on the floor along the route of the hot gases.
Speaking for the rear floor morphology , it was reshaped twice with the first revision to take place at Jerez alongside with the sidepod expansion to the rear and the second revision at Barcelona on March with the trapezoid channel in front of the rear wheel to be replaced by a small duct .
Launch,
trapezoid channel in front of the rear wheel
Barcelona on February,
Floor vertical fence in orange
Barcelona on March, ducted floor
A promising update for the team which took place also at Barcelona on March , was the connection of the sidepod panel to the chassis via a wavy winglet to force air flowing above the sidepod profile to follow the shape outline of the sidepod stronger and increase the downwash effect of exhaust gases to the diffuser .
Sidepod panel winglets
Some interesting but important details on C31 are also the following
-a small duct , already present since launch , permits a small portion of air flowing under the floor to find exit above the floor level instead of bleeding to the sides .In some occasions the duct was partially covered with tape
– a cooling duct for KERS components is spotted at left side only of the sidepod bottoms
-briefly Sauber tested a set of gills around the launch spec periscope exhausts
floor duct
KERS cooling duct
gills around periscope exhaust area
Related articles
- Sauber C31-Sidepod panels (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)
- Sauber C31 – cooling options tested during Winter testing (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)
- Sauber C31 – Rear end improvements at Jerez test (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)
- Sauber C31 – rear end details (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)
- Sauber C31 – Australian front wing (formula1techandart.wordpress.com)
Sauber C31-Sidepod panels
The sidepod panel has an interesting wavy shape which gives it a significant key role on overall aerodynamic efficiency of rhe rear end of C31 . The middle section is leaning inwards to divert air around the panel surface and sidepod sides . The portion of air coming from the inner bargeboard zone flows around the sidepod bottoms with the help of the lower section of the panel which acts as fence . Additionally the outer leaning outwards mini fence (in yellow) has a double role : the upper section acts as a vortex generator across the vertical axis while the lower section diverts away from the car the airflow coming from the outer surface of the bargeboard , with both functions aiming drag reduction .
Red Bull RB7 – New Sidepod panels at Melbourne
The sidepod panels gained a wider bottom section from the first 2011 race in Melbourne to improve airflow management around the lower sidepod zone .The wider panels were first tested during Barchelona test on March
MP4/25 – Sidepod panels update at Turkey
The revised sidepod panel has now a trapezoid shape for mainly two reasons . Firstly to decrease the volume of space between the panel and the sidepod body aiming to increase the speed of air passing trough taking advantage of the venturi effect created , and secondly to form a channel on the external panel surface . This channel separates the flow of air passing around the sidepods body into two , one flowing at the bottom and another one guided through this channel around the sidepods middle section . This new panel formation improves the quality and quantity of air flowing towards the rear of the car . It is worthy of reminding that the lower streamline of air around the sidepod bottoms , which is now improved , interacts also with the diffuser side section via the small vent in front of the rear wheels .
MP4/25 – Introduction of rear floor duct at Bahrain
MP4/25 – New sidepod panels for Bahrain
The new elongated and wider panels , introduced at Sakhir , connect directly to the floor’s turning vanes and offer a better airflow around the sidepod bottoms .
R30 – new sidepod panels and turning vanes since Malaysia
pre-Malaysia
The new panels raced since Sepang had their lower zone inclined towards the inner . Furthermore the floor turnings vanes where the panel is mounted on is now much slimmer than before . These changes offer a different airflow management around the sidepod bottoms , more suitable for the R30 .
Malaysia ( Sepang)
Michalis K. ( bar555)
Formula 1 technology and art 