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Though there are only three races to go in the 2024 Formula 1 season and Las Vegas is far from a conventional circuit in layout or conditions, that hasn’t stopped teams bringing an intriguing array of new parts to this weekend’s grand prix.
Mark Hughes explains the mix of major developments and 2025 experiments that have been declared by teams in Vegas.
Red Bull
A small development feature is a raised upper edge of the second fence from the inside at the floor’s tunnel inlet, done to increase the power of the vortex the edge will shed.
There is also a circuit-specific front wing with a lower downforce to balance out the low downforce rear wing.
Ferrari
Aside from the circuit-specific trimmed front wing illustrated above, Ferrari has introduced a development package around the floor fences and reoptimised the shape of the forward part of the floor and the floor edges.
The aim has been to give a greater efficiency of the energy travelling both around the floor edges and into the diffuser through the tunnels.
Ferrari performance engineer Jock Clear described this as being purely a windtunnel correlation test ahead of 2025 and said the floor will be used only in first practice on Carlos Sainz’s car before being removed.
Alpine
There’s a reworked front brake duct design claimed to improve the airflow interaction with the front suspension.
RB
RB has adopted the full 2024-spec Red Bull rear suspension from this race - a major change that's alluded to in its upgrades submission as a realignment of the rear suspension arm sheaths and rear corner surfaces because only aerodynamic changes need to be reported in these documents.
As part of this change, the upper surface of the sidepod has been lowered towards the rear, giving a greater ramp angle to the benefit of flow around the rear of the car.
Sauber
A major update at Sauber based around an all-new floor geometry.
The fences, edges and diffuser have all been reoptimised around the new underfloor geometry to work the underfloor harder.
Haas
The rear part of the underfloor has been changed in an effort at improving downforce at the low ride heights seen at high speed.
VEGAS SPECIFIC TWEAKS
Mercedes: The trailing edge of the front wing has been trimmed for the low-downforce demands of the track.
McLaren: A reduced front wing flap is available to match the balance requirements of the low downforce rear wing.
