Special feature

F1 Canadian GP: New updates from Mercedes, Red Bull explained

Join us as we delve into the new Formula 1 technical features on display as teams prepared their cars for the Canadian Grand Prix, courtesy of Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images.

Mercedes W15 detail

Mercedes has made changes to the position of the track rod and lower front suspension arm, as it looks to better utilise the revised airflow characteristics of the front wing that was introduced in Monaco.

Mercedes W15 front wing Monaco GP comparison 059-24-MERCEDES-FRONT-WING-MONACO-COMPARISON

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The front wing, which only George Russell had at his disposal in Monaco, is a complete overhaul in terms of concept, with the novel and slender inboard upper flap section removed and a more traditional chord variant installed instead.

The make-up and distribution of all the flaps are different from the previous specification, with a wider moveable section now present. The shape of the mainplane is also revised, with the shape of the central section reprofiled (red line), while the small upturned portion on the outboard section’s leading edge has also been adjusted (yellow highlight).

The shape of the endplate and the flap juncture have also been amended, as the team shifts the ratio between outwash generation and downforce production. To help balance the front brake’s cooling needs, Mercedes has also enlarged the main inlet scoop on the brake duct in Canada, with Red Bull also following suit.

Red Bull Racing RB20 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull opted to fix reference stickers to the front suspension pull-rods and the brake duct in FP1, with the cameras and the housing on the nose switched out for ones that can provide more coverage of that region for the team. This will provide it with a wealth of information to study back at the factory and make adjustments either this weekend or in the coming races.

Red Bull Racing RB20 rear detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull Racing RB20 rear detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

There’s also a new rear wing solution on the RB20 this weekend, as the team continues to optimise the design to better suit Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The team also doused the assembly in flo-viz paint during the session to help gather visual confirmation that the wing is performing as anticipated.

Notably, it has also opted for a low downforce version of its beam wing arrangement, with two slender elements mounted between the crash structure and rear wing endplates.

Kick Sauber C44 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Sauber has also chosen to add a new rear wing and beam wing into its suite of downforce options in Canada, with a lower-downforce version of the overhauled design introduced in Monaco installed on the C44.

The most notable difference in specification is a switch from a twin pylon mounting arrangement, to a single swan-neck solution. Although the wing does also feature the semi-detached tip section and endplate juncture that has now become commonplace up and down the grid.