The Spanish GP is scheduled to take place on 20th to 22nd May at Circuit de Barcelona, Catalunya
Mercedes has followed the example set by Aston Martin, which Ferrari and Red Bull have already acted on, by introducing its own ‘bib wing’ designs ahead of the Spanish GP. Several F1 teams are set to introduce upgrades in Barcelona and Mercedes is the latest entrant to the list.
The ‘bib wings’ are one of the major upgrades which can be observed in Mercedes’ W-13 at Barcelona. The aerodynamicists are using these wings as a means of better managing the airflow in this region of the car. The vortices shed by them are being used to manipulate the characteristics of the edge vortices shed by the bib below, which is narrower by regulation this year.
One of the big talking points of the W13 has been porpoising and the role that the design of its floor plays in the ill effects that follow. For Spain, the team has revised the design of the floor’s edge, adding a scythe-like edge floor wing that’s attached at three points along its length by metal stays.
The team is also still looking to reduce the weight of the car by any means necessary too. The livery tweaks made to the wheel deflectors and rear wing in Miami have been removed, and the team has not returned the livery to its pre-Miami status.
Alpine F1 team is also set to introduce upgrades in Spain
Mercedes are not the only team who are expected to field upgraded cars in Barcelona. Alpine F1 team has brought their own set of upgrades in the form of new rear wings.
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.
As well as straight aerodynamic improvements, Alpine is also pushing hard to reduce weight like Mercedes. Majority of teams struggling on this front in 2024.
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