LOW DOWNFORCE ALL THE WAY
At Monza, Ferrari – like all the other teams except Williams (because of the instability of the FW41 – has a rear wing with a low aerodynamic load and low drag, in order to lose the minimum of time on the straights.
The main plane of this type of wing has a shallower angle of attack than usual. In other words, it is less angled and therefore slightly raised compared to the standard configuration or the high downforce version as was used in Budapest (and shown above as a comparison).
As the wing is flatter, the speed difference between the airflow going under and the air flowing over it is less important, which reduces the pressure difference below and above the wing (hence the lesser downforce) but also the level of separation of the flow (hence less drag).
Moreover, since the pressure differential between the two sides of the endplates is small, the vortex that forms at the intersection of the endplate and the upper flaps is smaller than usual, making the slits in the endplates less necessary. They are therefore fewer (compare the white arrows), or even absent as on the Red Bull.
The wings run at Monza can be divided into three groups. The first is characterized by a flat main plane, a solution retained by Ferrari, Force India, Red Bull, McLaren, Sauber and Toro Rosso.
