Spanish GP: Latest key F1 technical developments

Mercedes F1 W11 rear wing detail

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Mercedes returns to the double pillar arrangement in combination with the high downforce rear wing.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Alfa Romeo Racing C39 rear wing detail

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High downforce rear wing for Alfa Romeo as it looks to utilise the more prominent swan neck-style double pillar arrangement.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Alfa Romeo Racing C39 rear detail

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Alfa Romeo is still an outlier when it comes to the design of the engine cover sail, with a shorter version preferred when compared with the rest of the grid.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Renault F1 Team R.S.20 rear wing detail

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Renault’s high downforce rear wing for Barcelona features no dipped central zone in the mainplane, and also has a hooped T-Wing with a slot inserted the entire length of the lower element.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Renault F1 Team R.S.20 front wing detail

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Renault’s nose design which has the original narrow, caped design seen over at Mercedes for several seasons.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari SF1000 front wing

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As in Hungary, it appears that Ferrari will utilise the first iteration of their front wing in Spain.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari bodywork technical detail

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This close up of Ferrari's T-Wing shows how the upper element has a different shape in the central portion when compared with the lower element.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Mercedes F1 W11 sidepods detail

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Side shot of the Mercedes W11 as the mechanics practice pit stops outside the garage.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Red Bull Racing RB16 detail

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The higher downforce rear wing available to Red Bull makes a return for Barcelona but the sinuous endplate louvres have now been painted in red, rather than being left black when they first appeared.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Haas VF20 rear detail

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Haas VF20 rear end shot with the obligatory high downforce rear wing and T-Wing combination but note the size of the cooling outlet too, it’s significantly larger in order that the heat generated by the power unit can be rejected.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Haas VF20 sidepods detail

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Another shot of the VF20, this time from the side, gives us a good view of the bargeboard and deflector package which rather than being their own independent structures, Haas has decided to combine them (not a new feature).

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari SF1000 rear detail

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The Ferrari SF1000 from behind with a suitably large rear cooling outlet to help dissipate the heat generated by the power unit.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari pit stop practice

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Pit stop practice at Ferrari gives us a view of the rear brake drums, the design of which has been relatively unchanged in recent seasons, as it continues to sport ridges that direct the air that passes in the gap between it and the wheel rim.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Ferrari pit stop practice

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between the brake drum and wheel rim to funnel air that’s captured by the inlet and dispatch it out of the face of the wheel. Note the small control blade which alters the airflow path, think of it like a flipper on a pinball machine!

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Tyre protector on Williams FW43

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Protective covers have been used by Williams this season in an effort to keep all of the tyres in tip-top condition, as ordinarily teams will use a set of tyres whilst pushing the car around the pitlane and to scrutineering during the build up to the weekend.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Racing Point RP20

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Lots going on in this picture of pit stop practice for Racing Point, as we can see the rear end of the brake drum and the measures taken there for heat management, as mechanics alter the front wing angle and we can see the gentle curvature of the under wing strakes.

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

Racing Point RP20 being pushed in the pit lane

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Having used its lower downforce, spoon-shaped rear wing design during the last round at Silverstone, Racing Point have returned to their higher downforce arrangement for Barcelona.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Mechanics push the Red Bull Racing RB16 in the pit lane

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Another view of the RB16’s rear wing, which has carefully sculpted swan neck style rear wing pillars that gradually merge with the mainplane.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Renault F1 Team R.S.20 brake and front suspension detail

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The Renault front brake assembly features a large inlet in order to capture airflow not only for cooling purposes but also aerodynamic ones.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Nose detail of the Red Bull Racing RB16

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Red Bull’s nose, used at the last few events is a development of the original design introduced by the team and features one larger opening on the ramped section, rather than two.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Renault F1 Team R.S.20 brake and front suspension detail

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Without the drum on the brake assembly we can see how they’ve designed their bell with numerous shapely apertures to reduce weight and influence the airflow passing through.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Ferrari pit stop practice

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The top-down view of the Ferrari SF1000 bargeboard region illustrates how teams must mirror slots on the reference plane in the aerodynamic surfaces above for legality purposes.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Ferrari rear suspension detail