Under the skin of the Haas VF-16

Haas F1 Team’s maiden grand prix car may share many similarities with the Ferrari SF16-H, that does not mean the VF-16 is devoid of any in-house concepts. F1i technical expert Nicolas Carpentiers provides you with the images and explanations.

A UNIQUE COOLING INSTALLATION

As part of Haas’ close technical partnership with Ferrari, the VF-16 is powered by Maranello’s 059/5 engine, which cools down turbocharged air in a rather unique way. Before the airflow enters the engine, the cooling process actually involves two steps.

First, the air goes through a triangular air-to-air intercooler which is mounted above the gearbox. Then, it is channelled to a second air-to-water device lodged within the monocoque itself. This new installation comes from both MGUs having been repositioned as well as the addition of variable inlet trumpets.

The radiator setup in the sidepods is also quite innovative. A water cooler is placed above the duct that channels cooling air, while a second, smaller intercooler (actually an oil cooler) sits below the pipe, at the end of it. While this angled installation is Haas’ own concept and creation, it does look very similar to the Ferrari layout, which should not come as a surprise.

By drawing inspiration from the SF16-H in terms of radiator design, the US team had little choice but to opt for a similar implementation. The oil cooler used to line up with the water radiator; the former now forms an angle with the latter, in a bid to declutter the rear of the car.

The series of louvres that first appeared on last year’s Ferrari SF15-T has been kept on the latest Maranello charger, with Haas also adopting the system (compare the water drop-shaped outlines on the three pictures above). One shall also notice that the radiators now have an even flatter placement whereas they were still a bit tilted last year.