McLaren and Scuderia AlphaTauri have arrived in Singapore with strong upgrades while Haas is the only team on the grid without new parts this weekend.
Aerodynamic upgrades are the order of the day for McLaren and Scuderia AlphaTauri, the former designed to aid low-speed handling – building on the upgrades introduced in Austria.
That includes a return of the high drag rear wing tested, but not raced, in Zandvoort.
Meanwhile, at Scuderia AlphaTauri, the upgrades will come into their own next weekend in Japan, with the new parts aimed at adding load and improving rear-end stability.
That has come off the back of feedback from Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson and address a weakness that has been evident in the AT04 all season.
Red Bull
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Floor Edge | Performance -Local Load | More camber in the forward portion of the floor edge wing | To exploit energy in the air stream, more camber has been applied to the forward part of the floor edge wing resulting in more local load from this region of the floor assembly. |
| Rear Wing Endplate |
Performance -Local Load | The end of the flap element has a revised curl detail. | Taking inspiration from competitor designs, the end of the flap element has a revised curl to the endplate which offered more local load for this element for this particular upper wing design. |
Ferrari
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Front Wing | Performance -Local Load | Reprofiled front wing flap | Not specific to Singapore and part of the standard development cycle, the aim of this front wing flap update is to improve car efficiency over an extended aero balance range |
Mercedes
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Front Corner | Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Large front brake duct inlet and exit. | The change to the front brake duct inlet enables more air mass flow to the brakes to increase cooling capacity at this circuit, which puts especially high duty on the braking system. |
Alpine
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Sidepod Inlet | Performance -Local Load | Raised and staggered sidepod inlet along with increased undercut and revised mirror housing stay and winglets | Increases overall load especially at higher cooling levels through improved flow to the rear of the car |
| Cooling Louvres |
Performance -Local Load | Connected to the above – revised cooling louvres to bring appropriate level of cooling with the new bodywork | Different shape to accompany the revised bodywork (see above description) |
| Beam Wing | Circuit specific -Drag Range | Taller lip on the trailing edge of the beam wing | Increases top rear wing load for a gain at high downforce levels – like the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore |
McLaren
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Front Wing Endplate |
Performance -Flow Conditioning | New Endplate Geometry | A new Front Wing Endplate Geometry will be introduced at this event, resulting in improved flow conditioning which provides a gain of aerodynamic load. |
| Sidepod Inlet | Performance -Flow Conditioning | New Sidepod Inlet Shape | In conjunction with the new Bodywork Shape, the Sidepod Inlet and Mirror mounting has been revised, to aid flow conditioning on Bodywork and Floor. |
| Halo | Performance -Flow Conditioning | New Halo Furniture | In conjunction with the new Bodywork Shape, the Halo Furniture have been updated to aid flow conditioning over the top of the Bodywork. |
| Floor Body | Performance -Local Load | Fully revised Floor | The new floor features updated Fences, Floor Edge as well as Diffuser shape, which in conjunction with the revised Bodywork Shape results in an increase in aerodynamic load. |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Performance -Flow Conditioning | Reshaped Sidepod and Engine Cover | The Engine Cover and Sidepod/Coke has been reshaped to improve flow conditioning to the floor, resulting in the aforementioned increase in load. |
| Rear Corner | Performance -Flow Conditioning | Revised Rear Brake Duct Geometry | The Rear Brake Duct external Winglet array has been revised, resulting in improved flow conditions in the area in conjunction with a modified Rear Toelink. |
| Rear Suspension |
Performance -Flow Conditioning | Modified Rear Toelink shroud | The Rear Toelink Shroud has been modified in conjunction with the revision of the rear corner geometry, improving local flow conditions. |
| Rear Wing Endplate |
Performance -Local Load | Updated Rear Wing Endplate Geometry | The Rear Wing Endplate has been modified to increase local loading of the Rear Wing which efficiently increases overall aerodynamic load. |
| Beam Wing | Circuit specific -Drag Range | More Loaded Beam Wing Geometry | Suitable for this circuit, a more loaded Beam Wing geometry is available, which in interaction with the Rear Wing allows to efficiently increase aerodynamic load. |
Alfa Romeo Sauber
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Floor Fences | Performance -Flow Conditioning | Redesigned floor fences and floor geometry | This upgrade, consisting of floor, diffuser and rear brake ducts as a whole, improves the aerodynamic efficiency of the whole package. |
| Diffuser | Performance -Flow Conditioning | Updated diffuser expansion | This upgrade, consisting of floor, diffuser and rear brake ducts as a whole, improves the aerodynamic efficiency of the whole package. |
| Rear Corner | Performance -Flow Conditioning | Redesigned rear brake duct geometry, as well as realigned the suspension covers | This upgrade, consisting of floor, diffuser and rear brake ducts as a whole, improves the aerodynamic efficiency of the whole package. |
| Front Wing | Performance -Local Load | Updated front wing flaps | The updated flaps provide more set-up options for the car, improving the efficiency of the whole aerodynamic flow of the car. |
Aston Martin
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Rear Corner | Performance -Local Load | The lower edge of the lower deflector has a revised profile within the allowable region for modifications. | The modified trim improves the management of associated vorticity increasing the local load on the deflector, this also increases load on surrounding devices. |
Scuderia AlphaTauri
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Floor Body | Performance – Local Load |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the rear central floor has been modified. | The modification is an evolution of the existing design to better optimise the flow entering the diffuser |
| Floor Edge | Performance – Local Load |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the floor edge local to the trailing edge of the forward floor fences has been modified. The rear floor edge and floor edge wing have also been revised. | The forward floor edge changes lower static pressure local to the floor edge and helps draw increased massflow under the forward floor between the fences. The rear floor edge removes the rear notch and ‘hockey stick’ floor edge wing in favour of a solid floor edge with modified floor edge wing remaining parallel to the floor edge. This change increases local floor edge loading. |
| Diffuser | Performance – Local Load |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the diffuser sidewall cut-out has been reoptimised to suit the new rear floor edge design. | The diffuser modifications enhance the strength of the rear floor edge vorticity, giving a local load gain within the diffuser. |
| Sidepod Inlet | Circuit specific -Cooling Range |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the sidepod inlet area has been reshaped. | This change increases the cooling range for radiators located in the sidepods to protect against very high ambient temperatures at this or any other high cooling demand circuits this season. |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Performance – Local Load |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the outboard bodywork has been modified. An additional cooling exit has also been added to the inboard engine cover local to the rear lower wishbone forward leg. | The bodywork has been taken further outboard at its widest point to improve the interaction with the floor edge and strengthen floor edge vorticity for local load gain. The upper outboard bodywork has also been reprofiled to keep front wheel wake losses further away from the rear floor, increasing local load. |
| Rear Suspension |
Performance – Local Load |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the rear suspension shrouds have been reprofiled. | The leg geometry changes improve local load generated by them. There is also a better interaction with the new rear brake drum geometry, increasing local load generated by the wing elements of the drum assembly. |
| Rear Corner | Performance – Local Load |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the rear brake drum scoop inlet has been redesigned and the scoop exit geometry revised local to the upper wing cascade. | The modified inlet reduces losses incident onto the upper rearward wing cascade, thereby increasing their local load. The revised scoop exit also allows these wings to generate more load by causing less aerodynamic blockage. |
| Other – rear view mirrors |
Performance – Flow Conditioning |
Relative to the baseline geometry, the mirror body has been revised. The mirror vanes have also been revised to suit the new sidepod inlet upper surface. | The mirror body changes reduce the extent of its wake losses, increasing flow energy to the back of the floor for increased local load in that area. |
Williams
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Front Wing | Circuit specific -Balance Range | New, larger gurney flap available for the rearward most element of the front wing | This increases the loading of the front wing to provide additional forward aero balance. This compliments the high downforce rear wing configuration and the balance requirements for Singapore. We will only fit this new GF if the balancing power is required. |
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