After several tests in the first races of the 2024 season, Formula 1The Mercedes thinks he has finally found the right direction for a package that is, at the same time, fast in the high corners, and does not sacrifice performance in the low zones. Therefore, the team brought a new floor and edge wing arrangement to the Miami GP.
Toto Wolff said the last few months have been “a painful learning curve”, but he feels things are improving, with the factory racing to prepare a series of developments that could bring Mercedes closer to the front of the grid.
“The design team is in full swing, and production and operations are underway. The race team is doing a good job, so everyone is in sixth gear as we bring things to the car that should be very useful.”
The level of changes brought to Miami were barely visible, with the new shape of the floor being reconfigured to increase the local load on the front of the assembly, also altering the airflow distribution to the rear section and diffuser.
These changes may not be visible, but it’s clear how they have an impact on the edge wing design, as the front section has a more aggressive shape, with five stripes along its length rather than two.
These stripes now have more definition compared to their predecessors, creating a more horseshoe-like profile that runs away from the trailing edge rather than ending there.
In addition to the new features on the floor, Mercedes also brought specific items for Miami, including a flap option on the front wing, with a shorter chord to help with the car’s front-to-rear balance (new specification above, image on the left, with red arrows showing how the upper flap was reduced).
Furthermore, to help cool the power unit, the team also brought a revised air circulation layout to the W15, with the louvered panel on the engine cover being exchanged for a solution with more, wider louvers (top, image on the right).
Red Bull focused on diet
Side comparisons of the RB20
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Speaking about the updates presented, Red Bull made a small change to the detail of its edge wing for Miami, with one of the struts removed to reduce weight, as the rest can handle the load.
And even though it wasn’t the team that made the most changes to the car, it’s interesting to understand how it has been managing its cooling settings since the beginning of the season, especially considering how different its layout is compared to the rest of the grid.
The team made a change to the size of its horizontal “shark mouth” sidepod inlet in Japan, reducing its size. This also led to the introduction of an additional snorkel-shaped inlet to the side of the cockpit (see the ROKT logo for reference).
Technical details of the RB20
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
And although the four louvered panels on the side of the engine cover were not present in this race, they appeared again in China and Miami, as the tracks require more cooling capacity.
Comparison of RB20 cooling arrangements
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
We’ve also seen a number of changes to the cooling vents located in the channels above the engine cover, with a three-louver solution used in China (left inset), with a more rear, cavernous option in Japan (right inset).
These solutions were combined for Miami, with a double-louvered panel being placed in front of the more cavernous exits.
BETRAYAL to RED BULL? Find out what MARKO can Plot to free VERSTAPPEN from the team | F1 market
