Alpine F1 team is set to bring a new rear wing to the Spanish Grand Prix as a part of its upgrade push for better results
Alpine F1 team has shown some encouraging signs throughout the start of the 2024 F1 campaign, but a run of reliability problems and bad luck has hurt its points-scoring opportunities big time. The team is confident, however, that it has a package that can allow it to regularly fight at the front end of the midfield pack. The new rear wing update is a part of its process for the enhanced push for better results.
Speaking on the update, Alpine team principal, Otmar Szafnauer said – “We’ve got a new rear wing coming for Spain. It should be more efficient than the last time we ran there and it should be a little bit more performant, so we will have that for both cars. The rear wing will be added at the back of the A522.”
Alpine has been quite innovative with its rear wing concept so far this season, with the team returning in Miami to a design it first put to good use at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
What are the expected features in Alpine’s new rear wing?
The wing features a section of bodywork that has been patched into the upper rear corner of the endplate. Generally, teams use a cut-out here to disrupt the vortex that’s generated as the pressure gradients collide at the endplate and flap juncture.
There must also be some consideration made about how this also affects DRS when it’s deployed, with the split in the flap now further inboard than the designers had become accustomed to. Besides straight aerodynamic improvements, Alpine is also pushing hard to reduce weight – with a majority of teams struggling on this front in 2024.
Alpine sporting director Alan Permane said the team had made good gains on this front with changes introduced at Imola, but it was not finished on this front yet.“We’ve taken a bit, but there’s still more to come. We’ve got some good steps in that area coming. We are still a little bit on the high side weight wise”, he said.
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