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Nicolas Carpentiers’ latest F1 technical review topically focusses on the Haas VF-17, as Gene Haas’ eponymous team introduced a revised charger for its home event in Austin. Most notably, the American challenger featured revamped bargeboards that drew inspiration from the Ferrari design, albeit in a more radical version.
LOOKING TO BARGE AHEAD ON HOME SOIL
For Haas’ second home race in its short F1 career, the US team’s VF-17 was sporting new bargeboards, which shared a common DNA with the Ferrari design. It is worth mentioning that Red Bull had already adopted a similar solution in Singapore last month. The five-element panel is placed in the wake of the front tyres in a bid to protect the lower sidepod area from the dirty air coming off the rotating wheels.
© F1i
This aero philosophy of segmentation was pioneered by Mercedes back in 2014, with most teams having followed suit ever since. Here is another prime example of said concept, as Haas aerodynamicists added several vanes and cuts in the area, always with an eye towards ensuring tighter control over the airflows.
