Ferrari’s first seasonal upgrade package has introduced numerous novelties with various modifications: front wing, front suspension, bargeboards, engine cover, floor, rear wing, and FTM exhaust. An important body of work, through which the Maranello team aimed to make a step forward while awaiting the ADUO, a dispensation granted by the FIA for engine manufacturers lagging in performance.
Downforce and outwash: the work on the front end of the SF-26
Ten days later, we take a closer look at the Miami updates combined with two previously introduced novelties. Starting with the front wing, the footplate of the SF-26 features a new vertical flow diverter. An appendage that conditions the fluids and pushes them outwards via the outwash effect. Furthermore, the footplate channeling has been reduced in size, with the curvature of the tunnel smoothed out.
Analyzing the comparison, it emerges that the floor attachment to the car body has been the subject of a clear reshaping ahead of Suzuka. The element now appears more arched, with a slimmer floor stay fairing. A reprofiling designed to optimize the characteristics of the local fluid mass. In the same area, an interesting upgrade to the bargeboards arrived in Miami.
The vertical deflector is divided into three sections, unlike the previous single-body configuration. In this case, the change serves two purposes: to enhance the aerodynamic efficiency of the element and to optimize the management of the turbulent wake from the front tyre. There is also a slight tweak to the angle of the three elements that make up the horizontal cascade.
In the central part of the car comes the confirmation of the small flap anchored to the vertical structure of the Halo. An element already present in Shanghai and then discarded over the course of the weekend. This time, it is not a “printed” component in transparent plastic.
Instead, Ferrari has produced a carbon fibre structure. The Halo Wings generate some local downforce but above all an upwash effect to feed the airbox and reduce the drag generated by the driver’s helmet.
Ferrari: rear-end tyre squirt management
In addition to the engine cover, which features three cooling louvres (Miami specification) to improve the extraction of heat produced by the car’s internal components, moving to the rear, the work on the floor ahead of the rear wheels stands out.
The pool of engineers led by Loic Serra has worked on modifying the shape of the slots, which are now taller, widening the channeling. This correction seeks to intensify the flow rate of the fluids injected directly under the floor, which are useful for managing the turbulence produced by the tyres.
The curvature of the small downforce-generating appendage also changes; besides increasing vertical load, it assists in management by cleaning up the turbulence in this specific area. The rear wing has also undergone an evolution: the Macarena 2.0.
Red Bull improves the Ferrari Macarena
Modifications to the shape of the actuators used to open and close the flap, the profiling of the pylons—now more robust to minimize vibrations—and the leading edge of the endplates, which is more squared off. Not to mention the strakes on the side endplates that affect the interaction between the diffuser and the rear tyres to optimize downforce, a solution already implemented by McLaren since last season.
The drawing above compares the Ferrari version with the Red Bull one. The first difference concerns the actuator, which for the RB22 remains the classic central one. The second concerns the rotation: although both specifications appear in the same position with the straight-line mode active, the Red Bull flap performs an opposite rotation of 110 degrees compared to Ferrari’s 270.
Furthermore, the gap in the open configuration is larger on the Austrian car, further decreasing aerodynamic drag. Added to this are two flaps that contribute to generating upwash to blow the exhaust gases upwards. The small aerodynamic appendages are interesting; given their size, they do not work to produce downforce but rather to keep the fluid flowing over the surface attached.
Maranello revises the FTM exhaust
Finally, we talk about the exhaust, with the FTM solution having set a trend, now practically copied by all the teams on the grid. The main appendage is modified in its structure, now more curved (arrow 1), adopting a spoon-shaped trailing edge (arrow 2).
In addition, two further flaps are added (arrow 3), which contribute to generating upwash to blow the exhaust gases upwards at high speed. The small aerodynamic appendages are also very interesting. Considering their truly reduced dimensions, they hardly work to produce vertical loads.
It is much more logical that the engineers inserted these elements to keep the fluid flowing over the surface of that area attached. It will be interesting to see if Ferrari’s mega update package will be better exploited in Canada following the studies on the data gathered after Miami.
