The changes helping Renault's push to be best-of-the-rest

The wing concept, which only Nico Hulkenberg raced in Germany, features a multi-element endplate plus a novel flap and adjuster arrangement aimed to fixing mid to high-speed cornering issues.

However, at a circuit like the Hungaroring, where speeds are much lower and maximum downforce is firmly on the agenda, the team saw the need to modify it.

A large wedge-shaped panel was stitched in to the front wing's mainplane, resulting in a slot either side of it (highlighted in green), rather than running the full width of the wing as was originally intended (highlighted in green, inset).

This change alterered not only the proportional amount of downforce that can be generated, but also the way in which the Y250 vortex forms, plus the outwash generated by the outer section of the wing.

Renault R.S. 18 brake disc

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Renault also made a specification change to its brake disc set-up, as it looked to improve brake performance.

The team, which is supplied by Carbon Industrie, has opted for a more aggressive brake disc selection in the last couple of races as it did at stages of its 2017 campaign.

The design, which features a scalloped face rather than a flat one, alters the way in which heat is rejected by the disc, with the drill positions amended to take advantage.

The upshot of this is that the team does not have to suffer the aerodynamic penalty of using a larger capacity cooling inlet, as the disc is able to reject more heat.