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After an expectedly stagnant Monaco Grand Prix, Formula 1’s development race has fired back into life at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the majority of teams bringing new parts for the Baku weekend.
Mark Hughes walks you through the full list of updates after the latest ‘show and tell’ session:
Mercedes
The team has brought a front wing with smaller chord, ready to balance with the low-downforce rear wing. Whether this will be used depends upon whether the team choose the low-downforce wing. The decision is not clear cut at this track.
Red Bull
Red Bull has slightly modified the floor fences and edges to give greater load on the front part of the floor. There is always a compromise to be made between total load and aero balance and Red Bull is seeking ways of getting more front end into the car. There is also extra front brake cooling and an extra stay for the floor to control uncontrolled flexing under load.
Ferrari
The most visually obvious change are the reshaped mirror supports which are claimed to give a small improvement in aero efficiency – something my colleague Gary Anderson explains here.
The team has also brought its lower downforce wing as an option.
McLaren
A modified, less-loaded, rear wing better suited to this track’s unique balance between high and low downforce sections in chase of better aero efficiency.
There is a matching front wing. There is also an option to run less bodywork cooling for aerodynamic benefit, with an alternative coke bottle/engine cover. Ambient temperatures will determine whether or not this is used.
Alpine
Alpine has made a significant upgrade around its radiator inlets, bringing a Red Bull-like bodywork extension between the inlet itself and the bodywork dimension limit.
The sidepod effectively begins earlier now, offering more scope for out-washing the airflow while also having a powerful undercut.
A low-downforce package of front wing, rear wing and beam wing has also been prepared.
AlphaTauri
The low downforce rear wing and beam wing package has been made available to the team here.
Alfa Romeo
Retrimmed front wing profiles to match the low-downforce rear wing.
No changes reported = Aston Martin, Williams and Haas
