Aston Martin were perhaps the most open of all Formula 1 teams when it came to launching their newest challenger.
When the new AMR21 hit the track at the start of pre-season testing in Bahrain, it was clear the team was already calling the changes and there were some interesting updates on the ground.
To reclaim the performance lost with the introduction of the new regulations, certain parts of the vehicle have to work a little harder aerodynamically.
One such area is the floor section in front of the new diagonal cutout, where everyone is keen to redesign the floor edge to make up for the loss of the fully closed holes that had become a permanent fixture on all the cars up and down the grille.
Using this area of the soil can help bring some degree of waterproofing back into the soil, thereby reducing the amount of turbulence entering the soil.
Aston Martin AMR21 floor detail
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Compared to the pictures from the official start to the action on Friday on the track, it can be seen that Aston Martin has already installed a new floor with revised functions.
First, the bottom edge has been given additional contouring that creates multiple raised scrolls and requires that the top-mounted flaps also be designed in a similar fashion (red arrows above).
This is largely in line with the design made by Mercedes, although the Brackley-based squad introduced a greater number of turns into the ground.
When you introduce these, any airflow that drifts out under the floor can expand and create a center diffuser effect.
In the meantime, the washout fins placed on the floor around the diagonal floor cutout and notch have also been redesigned, changing their shape and increasing the frequency from three to five.
These changes help compensate for some of the aerodynamic losses associated with the rule changes as they divert airflow upstream of the areas directly affected.
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