2008 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX : TECHNICAL NEWS

Ferrari F2008 - barge board development

Compared with Force India's extensive aero redevelopment for Silverstone, the changes to the F2008 look insignificant at first sight. But Ferrari have in fact developed many details of the car to optimise its already excellent balance for the specific demands of the British track. One interesting example is the addition of a tiny winglet on each of the bargeboards (see inset). Placed in the middle of the shield, the winglet (blue arrow) acts as an airflow splitter to better direct air into the sidepod inlet. At the same time it works in conjunction with the huge slitted winglets placed in front of the sidepod. This modification helps with the rapid changes of direction needed at Silverstone, by reducing turbulence - and the car's sensitivity to it.

McLaren MP4-23 - revised front wing

Several interesting changes were introduced to the front wing of the McLaren for the Silverstone race. The wing's main profile has now been split (see inset), with a wider element at the back and a narrower one towards the front (see inset's arrows). The car's nose pillars are no longer attached to the wing's foremost flap but are now connected to the main profile's wider element (see right-hand red arrow). This new configuration increases downforce but more importantly diminishes the front end's sensitivity to load variations, thus improving the stability of its aero balance.

Honda RA108 - engine cover winglets

During pre-season testing back in February, BMW Sauber added two profiled winglets to the F1.08's engine cover. At Silverstone Honda have adopted a similar solution, adding two centrally-positioned wide winglets (see circled area and arrow) to the RA108's engine cover in an effort to improve the car's balance. The solution has an additional benefit of reducing load transfers between the front and rear when the car accelerates or brakes

Toyota TF108 - rear wing development

Toyota have brought to Silverstone a modified slitted rear wing (red arrows). Though not entirely new, the wing features a completely revised flap, the depth of which has been reduced at its centre to minimise any airflow blockage. The lower portion of the airflow now passes through the slit, creating a sort of venturi effect that improves the extraction of air passing under the profile. The reduced depth of the flap enhances this effect, providing better stability thanks to the more stable downforce load.

Red Bull RB4 - front wing comparison

During the test session at Silverstone ahead of this weekend's race, Red Bull evaluated a variety of solutions to improve the RB4's balance. One outcome of this intensive work was a revised front wing, as shown in the lower drawing (previous version above). This sports a different main profile that is flatter at its extremities and features two big vertical fences (1) to better manage the airflow passing underneath. In addition to this, the wing profile is wider than its previous incarnation. The endplates now sport narrower horizontal knife-edge profiles with arched extremities on their external lower edge (2 - right arrow), coupled with smaller horizontal winglets in the middle of the endplate (2 - left arrow).

Force India VJM01 - shark fin engine cover

For Silverstone Force India have introduced a deeply revised aero package, which includes new sidepod bodywork and winglets. By far the most striking new element is the engine cover, which sports a huge shark fin, similar to those found on the Renaults, Red Bulls and Toro Rossos. The aim of this new addition is to improve the quality of the airflow directed towards the rear wing, increasing its efficiency in terms of increased downforce and reduced drag.