A running theme in the 2021 season has been the convergence towards the exposed corner floor, which appears to help seal the floor that was lost in the off-season thanks to the ban on the slots and cuts along the edge.
Red Bull has introduced a very curious new version of it and attached a curved front fin that creates a channel between it and the fin behind it.
This seems to do two different things, first to improve the expansion of the airflow while the car is yawing, to improve downforce, and also to get any eddies created on the turn into closer circulation.
This improves the seal with the floor, reducing the amount of turbulence under the car and reducing the effectiveness of the diffuser.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Around Zandvoort, it’s important to have a setup that creates more downforce in the middle of the corner to get more speed into it, and Red Bull’s update seemed to do business right away.
Max Verstappen took a controlling pole position in his home race, put the Mercedes duo in the shade and turned it into victory in front of an exuberant Dutch crowd.
Aston Martin has also continued development of the AMR21, redesigning the exposed bottom corner with a new line of fins. Previously there were two collections of it; one sits on the corner itself and the other just behind it.
The Silverstone outfit reverted to just one set of fins, but reduced the tendon length of those at the stern to push in more and turn the prevailing airflow at a greater angle.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Shocked by the changes in the regulations at the beginning of the season, as the loss of the floor span hit the low-rake vehicles harder, this became a concerted focus over the course of the year, especially as the team wants to advance beyond seventh place it currently occupies in the constructors’ championship.
But despite the work of the team, Zandvoort turned out to be a difficult weekend; Sebastian Vettel was suffocated by traffic on his last lap of Q1 and suffered a spin at Turn 3 during the race, which indicated a slight instability of the rear.
But since the season has passed its halftime, it would not be inconceivable for Aston Martin to dismantle its new developments now after Monza and to contribute with innovations for the next year.
The post How Red Bull and Aston Martin updated their F1 Dutch GP floors first appeared on monter-une-startup.
