Ferrari’s Big Bodywork Update: Addressing Rear-end Inconsistencies
Ferrari unveiled its big bodywork update during the Spanish Grand Prix, which included remodeling the sidepods and the lower engine cover. This update aims to address the inconsistencies at the rear of the car that both drivers have reported, which affect its stability and performance. Let’s take a closer look at how these changes work and why Ferrari believes they will give them an advantage.
The Essence of the Change
The new sidepods still feature a tapered, wide front shape but with increased length of the broad section when viewed from above and reduced width. The ‘wide’ section, while still wide, is now narrower but longer. The new floor that goes with it is the essence of the change. This change attempts to eliminate airflow shedding as it moves towards the rear of the car.
How Chunky Sidepod Fronts Work
Last year, Ferrari introduced the chunky sidepod fronts, without any undercut, to remove airflow from the surfaces of the car before moving it back to the rear of the car, where the sidepods start to merge with the coke bottle area. The lower pressure of that area draws the airflow, which has been sucked up the front of the sidepods, into the car. The air exits at the front, then enters at the rear, and will ideally follow a consistent parabolic curve between those two points.
Ferrari’s Out-wash and In-wash Approach
Ferrari’s approach is different from Red Bull’s cut pontoon. Ferrari’s out-wash and in-wash approach leaves the surfaces between the two exit and re-entry points. Both methods aim to maximize the speed and power of the airflow over the diffuser walls to improve the attraction of that airflow over the airflow passing through the diffuser. But they are doing it differently.
Ferrari’s Narrowing and Lengthening of “Wide” Section
Ferrari has narrowed and lengthened the “wide” section of its sidepods because they believe that the airflow designed to follow that curved parabola between the two contact points is “splitting,” i.e. breaking the intended path, dissipating the energy of the flow. Airflow separation occurs when asked to change direction too suddenly. Narrowing the pod will give the intended airflow curve a shallower curvature, and lengthening the wide section will make it even shallower. If airflow separation is the root of the car’s rear-end agility, this change in sidepod geometry should help add stability.
Carlos Sainz’s Remarks and Ferrari’s Poor Weekend
During the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari had a difficult weekend. However, Carlos Sainz believes that the updates are working, but they put them on their worst track this year. It is essential to note that the update may not be the sole reason for their poor weekend.
Additional Piece: Why Bodywork Updates Are Crucial for F1 Teams
Bodywork updates are crucial for F1 teams to achieve their desired performance level. Here are some additional insights on why this is so.
1. Improve aerodynamics
F1 cars’ bodywork updates aim to improve aerodynamics, airflow, and downforce, which affects the car’s speed and stability. The updates can focus on different parts of the car, such as the nose, brakes, floor, diffuser, and wings, depending on the team’s strategy and the track’s nature.
2. Address weaknesses
Bodywork updates can also address the weaknesses of a car, such as the inconsistencies at the rear of Ferrari’s car. As the F1 season progresses, the teams learn more about their cars’ strengths and weaknesses and adjust their strategies accordingly.
3. Keep up with competitors
F1 teams need to keep up with their competitors’ performance and make updates to remain competitive. The difference between winning and losing can often come down to one or two tenths of a second, so every improvement counts.
4. Testing opportunities
F1 teams have limited testing opportunities during the season, so they need to use these effectively to test out their bodywork updates. Testing helps them understand how the updates work and how they affect the car’s performance.
5. High development costs
Developing bodywork updates can be expensive, but it is necessary to remain competitive. F1 teams invest vast amounts of money in research and development to gain an edge over their competitors and win championships.
Summary
Ferrari’s big bodywork update aims to address the rear-end inconsistencies that have affected the car’s stability and performance. The update includes remodeling the sidepods and lower engine cover, which focuses on eliminating airflow shedding towards the rear of the car. Carlos Sainz believes the updates are working, but Ferrari’s poor weekend may not be solely due to the update. Bodywork updates are crucial for F1 teams to improve aerodynamics, address weaknesses, keep up with competitors, test out updates, and remain competitive.
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Ferrari’s big bodywork update was unveiled at the Spanish Grand Prix, and while the team suffered a very difficult weekend, that doesn’t necessarily have to do with the update. This was a point Carlos Sainz was keen to make after he had faded to a fifth from a front-row starting position.
“I think the updates are working,” he said, “but we’ve put them on perhaps our worst track ever.
This year’s Ferrari has suffered from inconsistencies at the rear of the car, with both drivers reporting sudden roughness. The latest bodywork has been designed to address that, to provide higher and more consistent downforce at the rear of the car.
READ MORE: 5 winners and 5 losers of the Spanish Grand Prix: who shone in Spain?
To pursue this goal, Ferrari has completely remodeled the sidepods and the lower engine cover. Sidepods still feature a tapered, wide front shape (much in contrast to heavily cropped fronts). used by most others) but have increased the length of the broad section when viewed from above.
They have also reduced their width: the ‘wide’ section, while still wide, is now narrower but longer. That, and the new floor that goes with it, is the essence of the change.
The ‘wide’ section of the new sidepod has been lengthened and narrowed on the Ferrari
To understand why Ferrari believes these changes will give them what they’re looking for, we first need to look at how the ‘chunky’ sidepod fronts, introduced on last year’s F1-75, work.
That rocky front, without any undercut, is there to remove airflow from the surfaces of the car before moving it back to the rear of the car, where the sidepods start to merge with the coke bottle area you drive. to the area around the diffuser.
MONDAY MORNING RECAP: Why Ferrari’s big improvements didn’t pan out in Barcelona
The lower pressure of that ‘coke bottle’ area is what draws the airflow, which has been sucked up the rocky front of the sidepods, into the car. The air exits at the front, then enters at the rear, and will ideally follow a pleasantly consistent parabolic curve between those two points.
Inducing that airflow to leave and reattach itself to the surfaces of the car is a very different way of speeding up the flow than that used by the Red Bull cut pontoon, having a channel cut into the front of much narrower pontoons, following a line to the bottom and along the lower edges.
At the rear of Red Bull sidepods, this line meets the airflow coming off the ramp down the top of the sidepod, the two flows merging to give additional power as the air makes its way. through the space between the rear wheels and over the diffuser.
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The airflow of the Red Bull-style ‘undercut and ramp’ combination remains largely in contact with the physical surfaces. The Ferrari ‘out-wash and in-wash’ leaves these surfaces between the two exit and re-entry points.
Both methods seek to do the same thing: maximize the speed and power of the airflow over the diffuser walls to improve the attraction of that airflow over the airflow passing through the diffuser (thus increasing the suction effect of the lower part). of the bodywork in the car). But they are doing it in different ways.
Ferrari’s narrowing and lengthening of the “wide” section of its sidepods suggests that they believe that the airflow designed to follow that curved parabola between the two contact points is “splitting”, i.e. breaking the intended path, dissipating the energy of the flow.
The airflow will separate when asked to change direction too suddenly. Narrowing the pod will give the intended airflow curve a shallower curvature. Lengthening the wide section will make it even shallower.
If airflow separation is really the root of the car’s rear-end agility, this change in sidepod geometry should help add stability.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.tech-tuesday-how-ferraris-bodywork-upgrade-is-designed-to-address-the-cars.7x9YawSJgztcCfUAnEggrt.html
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