Technical News : Spain 2008 (part 2)

BMW Sauber F1.08 - shark finned engine cover

Since last season it seems most teams have found from their wind tunnel and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) aerodynamic testing that elongating the engine cover provides clear advantages in terms of rear-wing efficiency. By improving the quality of airflow directed towards the rear wing, the fin increases downforce and allows the squads to run lower rear-wing angles, enhancing the car's top speed. BMW Sauber have adopted this philosophy with their 'mini' shark fin. Similar in style to the one found on McLaren's MP4-23, the rearmost edge of the fin curves steeply downwards (top red arrow) and ends with a jagged cut (bottom red arrow).

Honda RA108 - 'elephant ear' nose wings

This solution, debuted in Spain, is Honda's radical-looking interpretation of the nose winglets introduced by BMW Sauber to optimise the car's balance. They don't generate significant downforce, but instead help divert airflow horizontally, improving the quality of the airflow directed to the car's rear end and to its sidepod inlets. Honda, like BMW Sauber, have followed the common fashion this year of dramatically narrowing the lower section of the sidepods, reducing both the cross-sectional area of the inlets and the surface area of the radiators within. This reduction makes the effective channelling of airflow into the inlets even more crucial for effective cooling.