A closer look at the Toro Rosso STR11

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SMALL BUT CREATIVE

Unlike fellow Ferrari customer teams Sauber and Haas, Toro Rosso runs a 2015-spec power unit so the engineers in Maranello have also had to revise last year’s exhaust system to add an extra two tailpipes for the wastegate on the STR11.

The rear wing central pillar is attached to the gearbox casing and goes through the main exhaust tailpipe. This design, which was first devised by Toro Rosso on the STR10, has since then been adopted by several other teams, including Ferrari.

However, the small Italian outfit has drawn inspiration from the revered Scuderia for its floor setup, which now features 16 slots (!). By comparison, Ferrari – which initiated the concept at the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix – now has nine apertures on its SF16-H, while the McLaren-Honda MP4-31 has 11 slots (plus a pair of L-shaped slits) on its floor.

You can also notice that the rear lower wishbone has kept its unique conjoint Y-shaped design, with Toro Rosso even extending the concept to the front suspension. Mercedes introduced the latter in 2014; Ferrari, Red Bull, and Haas have since then followed in the double world champions’ footsteps and unleashed their own versions.

The rear wing slits are usually cut within the endplate, but on the STR11 these extend outward and all the way to the edge, thus increasing the airflow passing through the endplate and balancing the pressure on both sides even more.

Last but not least, you can also spot an aerodynamic novelty on the Toro Rosso rear wing. The horizontal notches pierced in the endplates aim at balancing the pressure on both sides of the endplates. This helps in turn curb the vortices generated in the area where the wing’s main board and endplate meet.

The slits are usually cut within the endplate, but on the STR11 these extend outward and all the way to its edge. This increases the airflow passing through the endplate and helps level the pressure. While this might look like a small detail, the unique design is a testament to the other Scuderia’s creativity.

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A closer look at the Mercedes W07

A closer look at the Ferrari SF16-H

A closer look at the Williams FW38

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