Mercedes’ four key changes for F1’s Belgian GP explained
Red Bull
Coke/Engine Cover - A minor revision to change the cooling exits on each side ahead of the upper rear wishbones. The geometric consequences suit the cooling requirements in relatively cool ambient conditions typically encountered at the Belgian circuit.
Ferrari
Rear Wing - Specific to lower downforce tracks, this update features depowered Top and Lower Rear Wing profiles in order to adapt to Spa-Francorchamps layout peculiarities and efficiency requirements
Mercedes
Sidepod Inlet - Taller inlet improves flow quality to sidepod radiators, improving engine cooling and allowing less louvres for a given cooling level.
Coke/Engine Cover - Increased coke side view camber improves onset flow to the rear of the car, notably the rear wing which gains downforce and drag.
Floor Body - Volume distribution adjusted to extract more local load from forward floor vortex system, which in turn improves flow to the diffuser.
Rear Wing - Reduced camber and reduced chord upper rear wing with less downforce and drag than standard - suited to low drag track such as Spa.
Alpine
Front Wing - Reduced aerodynamic load front wing flap to suit the lower downforce level of Circuit Spa-Francorchamps.
Floor Body - Gains downforce through the accumulation of several small local gains resulting from the revised geometries.
McLaren
Beam Wing - A new offloaded Beamwing geometry, which efficiently trades load from Beamwing to Rear Wing Main Plane and thus reduces aerodynamic Drag and Load.
Rear Wing Endplate - A modified Rear wing endplate featuring a different sideview shape, which reduces Rear Wing Mainplane loading and thus efficiently reduces aerodynamic Drag and Load.
Rear Wing - Two different Trims to the Trailing edge of the Rear Wing Flap Element, which result in a reduction of aerodynamic Drag and Load.
Alfa Romeo
Front Wing - The updated front wing flaps (available in two trim options) are designed to balance the rear wings listed below to answer the characteristics of the Spa circuit.
Rear Wing - A low-drag rear wing, featuring both main plane and endplates, that allows the team to minimise drag around the Spa circuit.
Beam Wing - As part of the updated, circuit-specific rear wing, the beam wing is available in two versions - with and without an upper element. This is to prepare for the specific requirements of the Spa circuit.
Aston Martin
Floor Edge - Small changes to the features generated from the floor edge to improve their interaction and hence local load on the lower surface of the floor.
Rear Wing - Reduced wing loading and hence drag to suit the characteristics of the circuit, may be used but defined by the chosen setup.
Beam Wing - Reduced wing loading and hence drag to suit the characteristics of the circuit, may be used but defined by the chosen setup.
Haas
No updates submitted for this event.
AlphaTauri
Rear Wing - The increased size of the cut-outs gives an efficient increase in local load of the upper wing assembly by increasing the tip loading.
Williams
Rear Corner - These work with the rear wing assembly to efficiently change the downforce/drag range of the car for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Front Wing - This reduces the front wing loading to suit the lower drag rear wing setup at the Belgian Grand Prix circuit.
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