F1 teams debut prototype 2019 front wings

Williams, Force India and Red Bull provided a first glimpse at Formula 1’s 2019 front wing regulations on the opening morning of the two-day test in Hungary.

The teams had publicly declared their intent to run experimental front wings at the Hungaroring and opted to do so immediately on Tuesday morning.

Williams and Force India completed multiple laps with the new device, which is 200mm wider and 25mm deeper and features less complicated endplates and wing elements.

The Red Bull and Force India designs featured four flaps above the main wing plane, with long, slightly curved endplates, making it an in-wash front wing.

This stops teams being able to push the air around the outside of the tyre.

The Williams wing had similar endplates but four flaps above a main plane that splits in two either side of the middle, similar to its 2018 design.

Turning vanes were absent from both, as dictated by the incoming rules.

Red Bull kept its run plan simple with Daniel Ricciardo completing an out-lap at the beginning of the day, while Williams tasked Oliver Rowland tasked with multiple out-laps.

Nicholas Latifi completed several out-laps before conducting a low-speed multi-lap run, seven seconds off the pace, with aero rakes attached.

The teams will be looking to get baseline data from these runs so they can correlate their simulation work back at the factory.

This morning’s test started with all nine participating teams hitting the track early.

Brendon Hartley set the early pace for Toro Rosso on a 1m20.306s, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson.

Antonio Giovinazzi (Ferrari), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull), Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) and George Russell (Mercedes) are also driving on Tuesday, while Toro Rosso has a second car for Formula 2 racer Sean Gelael to conduct Pirelli tyre testing.

Haas is absent from the test as it did not feel participation was its best use of resources.