Ferrari's first major upgrade of the F1 season has grabbed the headlines in the build-up to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend, but there are a number of other significant packages being trialled for the first European round of 2024.
Drawing on F1's now-traditional 'show and tell' technology element, Mark Hughes details what each team brings to Imola.
red bull
Red Bull tweaked the front wing, modifying the shape of the end plates and increasing the chord length of the third and fourth elements. It is claimed that the end plate modification improves yaw stability and improves predictability on corner entry.
Floor edge wings have realigned vortex shedding edges to increase local loading. The floor in front of this device is slightly lowered to increase effectiveness.
mercedes
The second part of the package introduced in Miami consists of a new fence entrance to the tunnel and a change in the volume of the tunnel that affects the trajectory of airflow entering the tunnel through the new fence.
It has a new biplane beam wing, which is claimed to be more efficient. The front brake duct has been redesigned to provide a higher pressure drop and increase the velocity of airflow through the duct.
ferrari
The SF-24 has undergone significant improvements, with cooling and aerodynamic trade-offs re-optimized around a new sidepod and floor combination.
The most visually obvious change is to the radiator inlet housing, which now has an RB20-like upper lip instead of the traditional lower lip. The previously separate vertical entrance now joins the horizontal entrance below the lip. The horizontal intakes are shallower than before, and the vertical part is used entirely for cooling, although it was previously part of the S-duct arrangement with the exhaust at the top of the sidepods, now removed It has been.
These changes resulted in a larger front undercut and a stronger rear coke bottle section. At the top of the sidepod next to the cockpit are twisted rotor blades, similar to an uncoiling cobra snake, to improve downstream flow.
The diffuser and floor edges have all been reshaped to take full advantage of the larger undercut. Minor adjustments have been made to both the front and rear wings.
mclaren
Following a major upgrade at Miami, McLaren has introduced a track-specific rear wing and beam wing at Imola. The aim is to increase overall efficiency as McLaren begins to adjust the aerodynamic levels required for the package.
aston martin
According to Aston, the new front wing, which has a distinctive internal 'V' shape, favors load distribution across the wing.
The floor fences and edges have been redrawn to improve underbody airflow, and these work in conjunction with a revised diffuser shape.
Takayama
We will prototype a new floor edge stay that suppresses floor deflection.
williams
Reducing the weight of the floor body is the beginning of a new effort to reduce weight for the overweight FW46.
Sauber
The floor fence has been extended forward, providing what Sauber claims is an increase in downforce from the underbody.
hearth
The reshaped front wing end plate is one of the parts Haas will conduct continuous practice tests at Imola. The hope is that this improved end plate will reduce wake from the front tires and redirect high-energy flows to the rear of the car.
Haas also changed the shape of the rear suspension's top wishbone fairing and relocated the winglet layout to the rear corners of the car.
No upgrade declared: RB.
