CHASING MORE DOWNFORCE
Ferrari mounted a slightly revised front wing on its SF16-H in Sochi. The white-painted upper flap, which helps produce downforce, was redesigned: the upper edge is straighter (see blue outline), while it is more curved going downwards. A third element of equal dimensions was also added (see yellow arrows), though the top two flaps are connected by their tips.
The upper element of the main plane (where you can read ‘V power’) has been updated accordingly. It matches the new outline of the upper flap and has a more rounded edge in the area where the all-important Y250 vortex is generated. On the outer section (here painted in black), the plane is divided into two arches (compare the white arrows in the bottom pictures) and there are seven arch elements instead of six.
As a reminder, the arches have become a trademark design since Mercedes introduced it in 2014. It pushes the air on the outside edges of the front wheels, thus helping to reduce drag.
Finally, one will also notice that the ‘r’ cascade has lost its notch, while the saw-tooth detail on one of the flaps is gone as well.
