Technical Analysis: Japan

F1i technical expert Nicolas Carpentiers provides you with images and explanations of the upgrades on display at Suzuka... as well as a quick catch-up session from Singapore. 

MERCEDES RECLAIMS THE EDGE

Over the past few grands prix, championship leader Mercedes has sampled several specs of rear wing endplates by alternating the shape and number of their vertical slots. Indeed, the W06 Hybrid sported a double edge on its rear wing at Monza, while it only donned a single, short slit at Singapore, and one long slot at Suzuka (compare yellow outlines).

Mercedes also modified the notches at the bottom of the endplates (see white arrows), with the design introduced in Japan sharing similarities to the one Red Bull has been using all season.

These slots allow dirty high-pressure air coming off the rotating wheels to go through the endplates and towards a low-pressure zone without disrupting the brake ducts and diffuser.

However, these kind of openings tend to remain fairly narrow, as aerodynamicists do not want to see too much air circulate through the endplates and trouble the low-pressure area under the wing's main board.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Nicolas Carpentiers

Nicolas Carpentiers is F1i.com's resident technical expert, providing in-depth technical analysis and casting his critical eye across the developments of the teams throughout the season.

Recent Posts

Verstappen positive, but RB21 ‘can’t be worse than last year’

After a 2024 season that saw Red Bull stumble from their perch atop the Formula…

2 hours ago

Hamilton getting there, ‘slowly bonding’ with Ferrari SF-25

Lewis Hamilton is slowly settling into life in red, and it seems the seven-time champ…

3 hours ago

Banter in Bahrain: Max and Lando turn presser into comedy gold

Bahrain’s drivers press conference on Thursday crackled with an energy that could only be described…

3 hours ago

Bahrain Test: Day 2 in pictures

The grind continued at the Bahrain International Circuit on Thursday, and it was a deepening…

4 hours ago

Sainz edges Hamilton on Day 2 of Bahrain test

Carlos Sainz delivered a commanding performance on the second day of pre-season testing on Thursday…

5 hours ago

Wolff cautions against premature V10 talk, praises F1’s hybrid future

As Formula 1 gears up for a transformative 2026 season with new power unit regulations,…

6 hours ago