McLaren has a new floor for the British Grand Prix as it appears to have an advantage on the front of the field.
Fresh from the front-end update that helps the team secure a 1-2 finish in Austria last weekend, McLaren is working on the biggest performance differentiators of the present with the new parts, saying, “the full floor has been revised, with improved flow conditioning and redistribution of suction, and overall aerodynamic performance.”
Also, there are changes to the McLaren rear brake duct inlet. This is because it aims to improve flow conditioning, which should affect aerodynamics and brake cooling performance.
Red Bull also addressed the floor in its final race in Austria, and has updated it this weekend, with the floor body “estimating pressure distribution over the length of the floor, allowing it to extract more loads while maintaining proper flow stability.” There are also changes to the floor fences, which are considered more subtle, but are designed to extract more loads without further damage to the stability of the vehicle’s flow.
A relatively important package has been introduced by Aston Martin, and the floors are also focused. There are slight updates to the floor shape and fine adjustments to the floor fence and floor edges, and the team says “improves the flow structure under the floor, increasing local load on the underside, and improves performance.” An update to the bodywork profile of the engine cover is introduced simultaneously to complement the changes in the floor.
Haas takes a similar approach to Aston Martin, changing the floor body, floor fence and floor edges to upgrade the floor. The team says the update will enhance the management of underfloor flow and improve the efficiency of ground efficiency during lateral load conditions.
“This increases cornering stability, increases mid-corner speed and increases driver reliability due to more consistent aerodynamic action,” says Haas.
New side pod inlets are also being used by HAAS, with fine adjustments associated with the rear view mirroring some of the package and allowing cleaner airflow delivery to the rear of the car.
Racing Bulls has minor front wing changes due to the smaller profile of the flap elements targeting low balancing requirements on high-speed silverstone circuits.
One of the teams offering the most notable benefits from new parts in recent weeks is Sauber, who continues to work on floor development, bringing up an upgrade called a change in the geometry of the front floor that will help teams gain efficient downforce. For balance, there is also a front wing update on Sauber, as is the case with the Racing Bulls.
