Eight teams have introduced changes for this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, with a particular focus on cooling.
The altitude at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez means thinner air which sees engine temperatures soar.
To address that issue new cooling louvres have been added to most cars teams bolted on ‘dirty downforce’ given the reduced impact of drag owing to the thinner air.
Red Bull
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Cooling Louvres |
Reliability | Enlarged forward exit louvres for the right side. | To achieve sufficient cooling in the lower atmospheric pressure of Mexico City, the right side forward louvre exits have been enlarged. |
Ferrari
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Cooling Louvres |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Additional cockpit louvres and cooling exit gurneys | Specific to the requirements of the Mexico City circuit, these new louvres and gurney geometries are extending the top end of the engine cooling capacity |
Alpine
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Cooling Louvres |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Deeper mid louvres than the previous maximum cooling louvres. | Due to the high altitude and air density in Mexico City, the deeper mid louvres provides higher maximum cooling levels. This update was used in Qatar FP1 as a test item for this race. |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Bigger coke panel exit at the rear of the car. | Due to the high altitude and air density in Mexico City, the bigger coke panel exit at the rear of the car provides higher maximum cooling levels. |
McLaren
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Revised Engine Cover geometry | The new engine cover geometry allows for increased massflow through the radiators, which is required at this circuit due to the particular ambient conditions. |
| Front Corner | Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Larger FBD Scoop | To manage the effect of the particular ambient conditions seen at this circuit on Brake cooling performance, a larger Front Brake Scoop has been designed to increase Front Brake Cooling capacity. |
Alfa Romeo Sauber
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Rear Corner | Performance -Flow Conditioning | Redesigned rear brake duct | The updated rear brake duct works in conjunction with the floor introduced in Austin to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the car and generate downforce. |
Haas
| 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 | Small modification at the exit of the Front Brake Duct Scoop. | This new option of the geometry of the outlet cooling duct of the Front Brake system will allow the engineers to adjust the brake cooling with a variation of the aerodynamic forces around the front corner. |
| Cooling Louvres |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | New louvers option due to the Bodywork and Engine cover that was introduced in the previous race. | A different option than that one used in the previous race, will be available considering the characteristics of Mexico circuit and the altitude. |
Scuderia AlphaTauri
| 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 |
Relative to the previous geometry, the front brake duct has been modified. | The brake duct has been increased in size to increase the mass flow through the system to increase disc and caliper cooling given the extreme demands of this high altitude circuit. |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range |
Relative to the previous geometry, the central engine cover has been modified. | The size of the central engine cover exit has been increased in size to increase mass flow through central radiator cores given the extreme cooling demands of this high altitude circuit. |
Williams
| Updated component | Primary reason for update | Geometric differences compared to previous version | Brief description on how the update works |
| Coke/Engine Cover |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | A larger engine cover with a bigger rear centreline exit is available if required | This allows more cooling air to be drawn through the coolers to reduce the temperature of the PU and gearbox fluids |
| Cooling Louvres |
Circuit specific -Cooling Range | Additional louvres are available if required | This allows more cooling air to be drawn through the coolers to reduce the temperature of the PU and gearbox fluids |
