Seven of the 10 Formula 1 teams have brought updates to their cars for this weekend’s race. However as they are far away from their European bases, and racing on a temporary circuit where the risk of damage is high, most of the revisions are on the modest side.
Red Bull have brought a mildly revised front wing which is intended to increase downforce, which the team identified as a requirement for upcoming races. They have also made a revision to the floor bodywork around the rear wheels to improve cooling around the inlets for the brake ducts.
Their three closest rivals have lagged far behind in terms of performance so far this year, and none of brought alterations on the scale needed to cut that deficit. Indeed, Ferrari and Aston Martin’s cars are unchanged, and Mercedes have introduced a single revision to the underside of their floor.
The addition of vanes is intended to improve airflow to the diffuser further downstream. Mercedes has identified a lack of rear-end downforce as a key weakness of the W14, as a result of which their drivers lose significant amounts of lap time to their rivals at corner exits.
Another team which has only made a minor change is Alpine, who showed promising one-lap pace at this track a year ago. They have tweaked the aerodynamics around their halo. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said today bigger updates are on the way for Baku at the end of the month and Imola two races after that.
Alfa Romeo’s new front nose extends to the first element of its front wing, similar to the design of the Ferrari, which it shares power units with. The front wing has been revised to work in tune with it, and the team has also refined the aerodynamics around its wing mirrors, which have been enlarged for 2023 in line with the regulations. Fellow Ferrari users Haas brought an unchanged car to Australia.
Like Alfa Romeo, Williams has revised its front wing design for this weekend’s race, seeking a compromise on downforce levels between those used in Bahrain, which has more slower corners than Albert Park, and high-speed Jeddah. The team also revised its rear wing endplates.
AlphaTauri, who are yet to score this year after Yuki Tsunoda placed 11th in the first two races, are seeking to turn that around with a package of floor updates for this weekend’s race. The team says these are intended to increase downforce, particularly when the car reaches its lowest ride heights, suggesting Tsunoda and…
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