Italian GP: Latest F1 technical images from Monza
Join us as we get up close and personal with the F1 cars in the pitlane and delve into the new and interesting technical features on display at the Italian Grand Prix, courtesy of Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images.
Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
Giorgio Piola is the preeminent Formula 1 technical journalist. View our full selection of Giorgio's technical illustrative content
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Red Bull’s unique sidepod inlet design with an open top and large undercut undoubtedly has significant cooling and aerodynamic advantages. Also, note the detail in the mirror and stalk design, as both carefully dictate the airflow’s trajectory. Special mention to the L-shaped buttress near the cockpit, which has an overlapping endplate that will doubtlessly propagate a useful vortex structure.
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The floor on Max Verstappen’s RB18 doesn’t feature the cutout that his teammate’s does but does have a tapered edge ahead of the rear tyre and a metal stay to help reduce flex.
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A closeup of the front section of the floor on the RB18 beneath the sidepod undercut, note the teardrop-shaped blister which helps define the airflow’s passage. Meanwhile, on the edge of the floor there are numerous Gurney-like extensions.
Red Bull Racing RB18 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Red Bull, unlike the rest of the field, does not have a Monza one-off low downforce rear wing design, as it have simply opted for the smallest offering seen to date. While it’s not shown here, it also has a trimmed version, with the trailing edge of the upper flap cut back to reduce drag.
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Another closeup of the mirror assembly on the Red Bull RB18, this one giving a clearer indication of the aerodynamic surfaces that flank the main mirror body for flow conditioning purposes.
Red Bull Racing RB18 nose detail
Photo by: Uncredited
In this closeup of the RB18’s nose we not only see the driver cooling hole placed in the tip, it’s also worth noting the way in which the front wing support brackets have been inserted into the flaps and orientated in a manner that’s conducive to dictating the airflow’s direction.
McLaren MCL36 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A closeup of the McLaren MCL36’s floor edge, showing the cutout, lifted rear section of floor and the L-shaped edge wing, for which the metal support brackets are also angled to improve flow conditions.
McLaren MCL36 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren’s rear view mirror sits out on the shoulder of the sidepod and is surrounded by the mirror stay which is shaped to improve the airflow’s behaviour around the assembly.
McLaren MCL36 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The forward section of the floor's edge wing on the McLaren MCL36 is upturned and features five guiding strakes to help improve extraction.
McLaren MCL36 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Not its lowest of downforce options available but still worth our attention nonetheless, here’s McLaren’s spoon-shaped rear wing.
McLaren MCL36 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A closeup of the rear wing’s swan neck-style mounting pillar which is connected to the DRS pod. Also note the detail in the DRS mechanism, which opens the upper flap when the button is activated.
Ferrari F1-75 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
We’d already briefly seen Ferrari’s low downforce offering ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, with the design reducing the spoon-shaped mainplane further still from its other offerings. The wing will also be set up with just a single element beam wing this weekend to further reduce drag.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The two rows of chassis canards mounted ahead of the sidepod inlet on the Mercedes W13, with a different surface finish used on the lowermost two in each row.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The outboard mirror and stay arrangement on the Mercedes W13 sits perched on the SIP fairing, with another ‘stay’ left dangling beneath.
Mercedes W13 nose detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A closeup of the Mercedes W13’s nose tip with the two slender cooling inlets pressed into it.
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The opening at the rear of the RB18’s engine cover stops a little short of the trailing edge, while also curtaining the shark fin.
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
This side-on shot of the Red Bull RB18’s rear wing shows off the contouring of the upper flap that might otherwise be flattened out in other images.
Red Bull Racing RB18 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The steeply-angled DRS pod and linkage on the Red Bull RB18 has been troublesome for the team this season, just as its old design was during the backend of last season.
Ferrari F1-75 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Ferrari’s halo fairing has fins both in the middle of the structure and at the rear to help realign the airflow as it passes by.
Mercedes W13 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Mercedes’ rear wing features a significant cutout in the trailing edge of the upper flap, while the wingtip section of the endplate has no cutout.
Aston Martin AMR22 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Perhaps the most interesting of the Monza one-off rear wing designs comes from Aston Martin, which has opted for an extremely curved and shallow angled design. Also note the tall Gurney flap on the trailing edge of the upper flap which helps with balance.
Aston Martin AMR22 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Aston Martin’s mirror design is very similar to Red Bull’s, as you might expect given the overall design shift they took and features a very skinny mirror body in the outer section to enable the use of flow conditioning appendages around it.
Aston Martin AMR22 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A rearward shot showing off the entire landscape of the AMR22’s sidepods, halo and all those additional winglets, including the most outboard one that’s gone unmentioned thus far but is outwardly angled to help push the airflow laterally and help distinguish the issues posed by any errant wake from the front tyre.
Aston Martin AMR22 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
At the rear of the AMR22 we’re able to see the level of intricacy involved in the design of the winglets attached to the rear brake duct. Also note how the beam wing elements are twisted in the outermost section to help unload them and reduce drag.
AlphaTauri AT03 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The edge wing on the Alpha Tauri AT03’s floor is lifted above the floor's surface and has a U-shaped metal bracket on the rear edge to help prevent the surface from overtly flexing.
AlphaTauri AT03 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
AlphaTauri’s low downforce rear wing features the squared-off endplate transition to help maximise the wing’s span, while the trailing edge of the upper flap has also been trimmed to help reduce drag for Monza.
AlphaTauri AT03 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A closeup of the squared-off endplate transition that AlphaTauri recently introduced and also required the wingtip cutout to be adjusted.
AlphaTauri AT03 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The trimmed trailing edge of the AlphaTauri’s rear wing upper flap is clear to see in this image, along with the single element beam wing it is using this weekend to help reduce drag.
Red Bull Racing RB18 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
While Red Bull is using a rear wing design that seems downforce heavy for Monza, the beam wing is just a single element and set at a very shallow angle.
Red Bull Racing RB18 rear detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A shot of the RB18’s rear corner, note the bell-shaped curvature to the diffuser and the thickness difference in the lowermost section of the brake duct winglet.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
Mercedes’ cockpit fins and double boomerang winglets atop the halo are on full display here.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The rolled floor edge on the Mercedes W13, with the last section of the underfloor fences protruding out from it. Meanwhile, the rolled forward section of the edge wing has a single twisted strake to help with extraction.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
An even closer shot of the rolled forward section of the edge wing with the single twisted strake towards the front of the assembly.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
A closeup of the rear wing’s corner on the W13, showing the lack of cutout in the endplate and how much of the upper flap has been cut away to help reduce drag.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The novel approach taken by Mercedes with the front wing endplate and outer flap design, as the flaps arch back to meet with the endplate as far forward as possible, leaving the lower edge of the endplate exposed.
Mercedes W13 detail
Photo by: Uncredited
The halo fairing helps teams to deal with some of the aerodynamic efficiencies of the structure itself. Also note the serrated windscreen, a design which Mercedes has used for many years now and helps reduce the buffeting of the drivers helmet.
Ferrari F1-75 front wing detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
To match the low downforce rear wing, Ferrari have trimmed its front wing in order to balance the car front-to-rear.
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