Ferrari's bid to bring much-needed performance to its 2019 Formula 1 car has included it revisiting a floor concept that it appeared to have abandoned at the end of last year As Giorgio Piola's exclusive drawing shows (above), Ferrari's upgrade for Baku included a small change to the floor - adding a bank of three fins at the rear corner just ahead of the tyre squirt slot. These fins were something that Ferrari tried in numerous practice sessions at the end of last year, starting in Japan, but could not get to work in the way it hoped. Ferrari SF71H floor comparison, Suzuka Photo by: Giorgio Piola But now it appears that team is more confident in the design...
We cast our eye over the technical developments made by the teams up and down the pitlane in Bahrain, while also marveling at some of the innovations that are otherwise unseen during a race weekend. The amazing illustrations of Giorgio Piola also takes our understanding to a new level, click through the images below… McLaren MCL34 bargeboard Photo by: Giorgio Piola McLaren introduced a new bargeboard arrangement in Bahrain and seemingly unlocked some of the untapped potential of the MCL34. The new design’s forward footplate shape was revised quite significantly (red arrow and dotted line), while a series of variously sized vertical fins (white arrow) that we’ve seen others use for some time now were added. These make up...
In our last deep dive into Giorgio Piola’s treasure trove, we cast our eye over Ferrari’s 312. But it was 1974 rivals McLaren and Emerson Fittipaldi that prevailed, running out the eventual winners in a less complex but far more compliant car. Next year will be Giorgio’s 50th year in the sport – having covered over 800 GPs, he’s one of the longest-serving journalists to ever grace the F1 paddock. This gives him a unique insight into the ever-changing landscape of the sport and perhaps, more importantly, an uninterrupted vision of the physical transformation the cars have undergone. The McLaren M23’s lifespan, much like many cars of the era, actually stretched across four years and continued to serve customer teams for another...
Red Bull's impending Honda deal means Toro Rosso has been virtually playing a test role for the parent team's 2019 season - but that doesn't mean it has ceased concurrent chassis developments. With the end of the season in sight, you could forgive a midfield team like Toro Rosso for giving up on improving its current car and instead be focusing entirely on 2019. However, its STR13 has remained a sort of mobile laboratory as it, Honda and Red Bull have laid down the foundations for what they hope will be a good challenge in years to come. On the engine front, Honda has not hesitated in using Toro Rosso’s car as a test bench this year – which has helped it accelerate...
Ferrari became the first Formula 1 team to run a new generation of brake discs at the Mexican Grand Prix, featuring an unprecedented 1400 holes to help cooling. The unique high-altitude demands of Mexico, where teams struggle to keep temperatures of engines and brakes under control, was the perfect proving ground for the new disc that will be made available to all customers in 2019. F1's brake suppliers have long balanced out increasing the number of holes to help cooling with the need for structural integrity of the disc itself. Twenty years ago there were less than 30 big holes around the centre of the disc, and this number only increased dramatically around five years ago when drilling more than...
