McLaren is currently fighting for third place in the constructors’ championship with Ferrari. The team from Woking also finished third last season. Although the results do not reflect every weekend, the British team has made progress as in recent races they have started to challenge front-runners Red Bull and Mercedes.
ADVERTISING
Article continues under this ad
McLaren driver Lando Norris qualified second in the Austrian Grand Prix and was 0.048 seconds behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. In the race he was level with the Mercedes and ended up ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Formula 1 F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 4th, 2021, McLarens Lando Norris at the REUTERS / Lisi Niesner race
This latest form is confirmation of McLaren’s upward trend over the past couple of seasons. But they seem to be one step closer to the top in 2021. One of the main reasons for their progress this season is their Z-shaped bottom.
ADVERTISING
Article continues under this ad
WATCH HISTORY: From Prince to Queen: When F1 Stars Interacted with the Royal Family
What is the Z-shaped bottom?
Formula 1 had introduced many significant changes in the 2021 season. They had announced that the teams would cut downforce by 10%, and they also introduced the budget cap of $ 175 million.
The reduction in downforce meant the teams had to make changes to the floors of the cars. Most teams opted for their versions of the Z-shaped floor, but 9 races in the season almost every team adopted a similar Z-shaped floor.
Since the airflow comes from the front end of the cart and when changes are made to the barge boards on the bottom, the Z-bottom acts as a diffuser. The floor helps direct airflow from the front of the car to the diffuser to the rear.
It will therefore give the car more aerodynamic downforce. It also increases the power of the diffuser located in the back of the car and also helps create more downforce.
How does the Z-shaped floor help McLaren?
During the pre-tests, McLaren had also introduced a new diffuser that was unique from other cars. The most recent changes also affected the diffuser as the teams had to shorten the fences by 50mm. But the Woking team found an innovative solution by embedding the fences in the central part of the diffuser.
ADVERTISING
Article continues under this ad
McLaren presented its version of the Z-shaped floor at the Spanish Grand Prix. The floor had two angled fins in front of the cutout to further enhance the aerodynamic effect and to regain some lost downforce.
Formula 1 F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 2, 2021, McLarens Daniel Ricciardo in training REUTERS / Lisi Niesner
The changes have made the front of the cars too heavy on downforce, which in turn makes the rear twitch. The Z-shaped bottom also increases the rear stability of the MCL-35M. These innovations have enabled McLaren to challenge the Mercedes in the last few races.
ADVERTISING
Article continues under this ad
Can McLaren challenge the Mercedes for the rest of the season? Comment below to let us know.
The post McLaren’s Z-shaped floor: what is it and how does it help you challenge Mercedes F1? first appeared on monter-une-startup.
