McLAREN TWEAKS ITS FRONT WING (AGAIN)
There is no let up in development at McLaren, which introduced a couple of novelties on the MP4-31 in Sochi.
The front wing, which had already been tweaked in Bahrain, features an extra vertical fin, placed inside the main cascade. We’ve already seen that the cascade’s goal is more to control the airflow around the front wheels than to generate downforce.
The sidepod vane, which used to only be vertical, now arches over and extends horizontally to merge with the first of the three winglets sitting astride the sidepod. The design is not new – most other F1 cars also have it – which confirms that aero solutions tend to converge under stable technical regulations.
Last but not least, McLaren also tested new brake drums, featuring water drop-shaped outlets.
As you can see, no major upgrade was introduced in Sochi. This is hardly surprising considering that F1 teams usually unleash a flurry of evolutions when the sport returns to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix.
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