For Monaco, this led to the introduction of an interesting serrated diffuser concept, which was tried out for the first time in training on Thursday.
The design, which only appeared on Max Verstappen’s car during the first RP, features a redesigned outer section with a jagged edge on the two innermost Gurney-like extensions that run around the perimeter of the diffuser.
In the meantime, Sergio Perez, who runs the standard configuration, would provide Red Bull with plenty of data to quantify any increase in performance.
The change was evident from the Flow-Vis paint sprayed on the diffuser and rear wing so the team could get confirmation that the airflow was behaving as expected.
And since Monaco is an outlier in terms of downforce, the airflow may need to be worked a little harder to get the same results.
Jagged surfaces are not a new playground for Formula 1, however, as Mercedes has used them several times in recent years, while the mid-2000s also proved fruitful for them from a design point of view.
Red Bull Racing RB16B diffuser comparison
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Why add pips?
Jake Boxall-Law
There are numerous scientific studies examining the effect of a serrated trailing edge on a grand piano, and there have been several examples of toothed gurney flaps and trailing edges used in F1.
The general consensus from these studies is that adding splines would improve the performance of a wing structure and, in this case, would increase the downforce generated by the diffuser.
With the arrangement of elements surrounding the diffuser, the low pressure zone created behind the diffuser is enlarged, which introduces greater suction power and thus improves the performance of the subfloor.
However, these serrations add resistance to the mix thanks to the small vortices that detach from the tips.
Aerodynamicists would like to try to bring the diffuser to a standstill on a straight line and then have the airflow reattached in front of the corners to generate downforce if necessary. However, this would be more difficult overall with these toothings, which would enable a stronger fastening over the surrounding diffuser elements.
Thus the development is perfect for a circuit like Monaco where there are no parts of the course where it is desirable to reduce the drag created by the diffuser.
The slow nature of the course means it is important to find downforce by all means. Therefore, the teams can take more freedom with aero parts that would otherwise create a lot of air resistance.
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