Revised rear suspension for the RB21 complements a new engine cover and rear corner, the latter two described as ‘reliability’ upgrades according to FIA documents.
Half the grid has new components for this weekend’s race, with Haas boasting a new floor and Williams a front wing.
The upgrades list is completed by Racing Bulls, which has tweaked its halo faring, and Sauber, which has changed its floor and rear wing.
Red Bull
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Reliability | Revision to central exit aspect ratio | Subtle changes to reduce the losses incurred by the upper and lower rear wings for more cooling. |
| Rear corner | Reliability | Enlarged exit duct with blanking options | In preparation for upcoming races, a larger exit duct has been prepared with scope to blank primarily for Suzuka |
| Rear Suspension |
Performance -Local Load | Mild revision to lower wishbone shroud and fairing into the rear wheel bodywork. | Gap between races allowed a revised wishbone shroud better aligned to the local flow conditions to be applied with attendant fairing into the brake duct assembly. |
Haas
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Floor Body | Performance -Local Load | Central floor re-shaped | This geometry changes the floor volume in floor proximity, aiming to improve stability when the car is running at low ride-heights in high speed corners. |
Racing Bulls
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Halo | Performance -Flow Conditioning | Reprofiled Halo shroud and interface to chassis. | The airflow passing over the Halo passes towards the back of the car and can influence the rear wing and floor performance. This update improves the flow quality downstream of the Halo. |
Williams
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Front Wing Flap | Performance – Local Load |
The rearward most element of the front wing has an updated outboard geometry. The flap has a slightly longer chord length and features a more pronounced ‘dip’ in its profile. The details of the connection to the endplate are also updated slightly. | The updated flap geometry produces more local load, which allows us to efficiently rebalance more load from the rear wing. The interaction of the subsequent flow with the front suspension and brake duct furniture is different, which leads to improved control of the front wheel wake. |
| Front Wing Endplate |
Performance – Flow Conditioning |
The new endplate has a reprofiled lower rear edge and a slightly modified connection to the front wing flap. |
Working in conjunction with the new flap, the revisions to the endplate modify the flow leaving the front wing assembly and improve its interaction with the downstream aero devices. |
Sauber
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Floor Body | Performance -Local Load | Changes to several areas of the floor: floor fence, outboard floor and diffuser. | All changes together are aiming to have better flow field entering the underfloor and improving flow quality all along the floor. |
| Rear Wing | Performance -Local Load | Changes to main plane. | Changes to the main plane geometry to increase overall efficiency and improved cleanliness of the rear wing assembly. |
| Beam Wing | Performance -Local Load | Adding an upper element to the already existing beam wing main plane. | The addition of the forward element leads to an efficient load increase as well as a positive response on characteristics. |
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