Nine teams bring new products to Barcelona, McLaren remains unchanged

The Spanish Grand Prix marks the entry into force of a strengthened technical directive on the flexibility of front wings. In response, most teams have made updates to their cars, mainly in this area. McLaren is an exception with no updates, as their wing was already validated at Imola during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Why toughen flexibility tests?

The FIA has introduced stricter tests on the flexibility of front wings to prevent teams from deliberately exploiting wing deformation for aerodynamic purposes. Flexible wings, using sophisticated carbon fiber manufacturing techniques, allow teams to balance the cars between fast and slow corners.

This flexibility also improves top speed by “disappearing” on straights without compromising cornering performance, as the wing returns to its original shape at low speed during the cornering phases.

It is in this strengthened regulatory context that the teams arrive in Spain with their latest innovations. An overview of the main technical developments deployed.

Mercedes is working on floor and aerodynamics.

Already equipped with a modified front wing in Imola, like McLaren, Mercedes is among the most active teams in Barcelona, with three developments. German engineers have revised the floor edge with an increased chord and additional winglets. This modification aims to improve the management of airflow under the car by increasing the mass of air directed towards the front of the floor.

The floor strakes have also been reprofiled to optimize the distribution of local pressures and reposition the generated vortices. The aim is to improve the flow both locally and downstream, thus benefiting the overall aerodynamics of the W16.

The rear wing completes this triptych with a main profile and flaps specifically modified for the Catalan circuit. The increased curvature allows for enhanced local downforce while maintaining a drag-efficiency ratio suited to Barcelona’s characteristics.

Ferrari revises its allocation of expenses

The Scuderia has developed a new front wing that redistributes loads along the chord and span axes. The modifications also affect the wing endplates and external rollers. This evolution complies with articles 3.15.4 and 3.15.5 of the technical regulations, applicable since the Spanish GP.

The high-support rear wing, already used at Imola, receives local tweaks to the geometries of the endplates and outer rollers to improve flow characteristics and increase the efficiency of the generated downforce.

Red Bull prioritizes rigidity

Red Bull has prioritized a structural approach by primarily revising the sections of the first and second elements of the front wing. The flap elements and endplates logically follow these modifications. The Austrian team seeks to gain rigidity with minimal weight cost while maintaining the desired load characteristics.

Aston Martin optimizes the wing endplates

Aston Martin has reworked the stamped details between the wing elements and the endplate. These modifications improve the flow around the outer end of the wing, increasing the load generated in this critical area. The main sections have been adjusted to comply with technical directive TD018H.

Alpine optimizes the flow under the floor

Alpine is relying on developments in the floor with reprofiled strakes that locally optimize the quality of the structures under the floor. Subtle modifications to the shape of the floor maximize the effect of the new strakes and improve the quality of the flow. The French team has not modified its front wing.

Racing Bulls rethinks the entire front

Racing Bulls presents a complete front package with revised main plane elements, including a lowered central section. This configuration loads the center more compared to the outside, altering the downstream flow conditions. The connection between the tips and the end plate has been updated to reduce losses created by this complex three-dimensional flow.

The nose also undergoes modifications with a raised lower surface and a lowered tip. This geometry increases the load generated by the central section of the wing while altering the flow around the car.

Williams adds cooling

Williams combines regulatory compliance and geometric optimization. The front wing assembly meets the new deflection requirements while revising the geometry of the rear flap and endplate. The outer profile of the rear flap adopts a more conservative configuration, while the vertical section of the endplate features a revised camber geometry.

The British team is also introducing cooling modifications with a revised exit geometry for the rear brake duct and a new louver panel with a maximum number of large openings for thermal management.

Sauber reworks the floor

Sauber focuses on the floor with modifications targeting the barriers, the outer edge, and the diffuser. These developments aim to improve the flow conditions under the floor from front to rear, generating effective and balanced downforce.

The front wing receives a small change in the transition between the main plane and the endplate to improve outer performance and encourage better downstream flow quality.

Haas complies with the new rules.

Haas mainly adapted the construction of its front wing to meet the new stiffness standards, a more structural evolution than an aerodynamic one.

McLaren changes nothing

McLaren is the notable exception by not bringing any new parts to Barcelona. The Woking team had already tested its front wing compliant with the directive at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, demonstrating not only its compliance but also its advance on the regulations.

This strategy suggests that the competitiveness of the MCL39 will remain intact, or even be strengthened, despite the new regulatory constraints. The absence of developments from the British team does not reflect a lack of progress but rather a successful anticipation of technical changes.