Up Next
Ferrari's first major upgrade of the Formula 1 season stole the headlines in the build-up to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, but there are plenty of other significant packages being trialled at the first European round of 2024.
With F1's now-traditional 'show and tell' tech element having taken place, Mark Hughes runs through what each team has brought to Imola.
Red Bull
Red Bull has tweaked its front wing, extending the chord length of the third and fourth elements with a revised endplate geometry. The endplate change is claimed to improve stability in yaw, so giving greater corner entry predictability.
The floor edge wing has had its vortex-shedding edges realigned to give a claimed increase in local load. The floor ahead of this device has been lowered slightly to enhance its effect.
Mercedes
The second part of the package introduced in Miami comprises new fence inlets to the tunnel and a change in the volume of the tunnel which impacts on the trajectory of the airflow into them through the new fences.
There is a new biplane beam wing, with claimed efficiency improvement. The front brake ducts have been redesigned to give a greater pressure drop and thus increased speed of airflow through them.
Ferrari
A major reworking for the SF-24 with the trade-off between cooling and aerodynamics reoptimised around a new sidepod-floor combination.
The most visually obvious change is that to the radiator inlet housing which now has an RB20-like upper lip replacing the traditional lower lip. The vertical inlet now joins up with the horizontal one below the lip, whereas previously they were separate. The horizontal inlet is shallower than before and the vertical part is now wholly used for cooling whereas previously it was part of an S-duct arrangement with an outlet on the sidepod top, which has now been deleted.
What these changes have enabled is a greater undercut at the front and a more enhanced coke bottle section at the back. There is a twisted turning vane on the sidepod top alongside the cockpit, resembling an uncoiling cobra snake, which gives better flow downstream.
The diffuser and floor edges have all been reshaped to fully exploit the greater undercut. There are tweaks to both the front and rear wings.
McLaren
Following its major Miami upgrade, McLaren has brought circuit-specific rear and beam wings to Imola. The aim is to increase the overall efficiency as McLaren begins to tailor the drag levels it needs to its package.
Aston Martin
A new front wing with a distinctive 'V' within it which Aston says revises the load distribution across the wing in a favourable way.
The floor fences and edges have been redrawn for improved underbody airflow and these work in conjunction with a revised diffuser shape.
Alpine
A new floor edge stay to restrict floor deflection will be trialled.
Williams
A lighter floor body is the beginning of a new weight-saving initiative for the overweight FW46.
Sauber
The floor fences have been extended forward, brining what Sauber claims is an increase in downforce from the underbody.
Haas
A reshaped front wing endplate is among the parts Haas will back-to-back test in practice at Imola. It hopes this revised endplate will reduce the wake from the front tyres and redirect the high-energy flow towards the rear of the car.
Haas has also reshaped the top wishbone fairings on its rear suspension, and has repositioned its winglet layout at the rear corner of the car.
No upgrades declared: RB.
