Force India VJM01 - sidepod winglets development
In addition to the extensive updates introduced by Force India at Silverstone, the team made some further changes ahead of the Hockenheim race. One of these revisions concerned the assembly of the winglets placed in front of the car's sidepods (see arrows). Instead of being connected to the sidepod chimneys, the new elements are separate and are connected at their lower edge to the sidepod and at their centre, with the help of an additional horizontal profile, to the rear-view mirrors. This solution minimizes drag and increases the stability of the winglets.
Ferrari F2008 - vertical sidepod fins
In Germany Ferrari have become the latest team to adopt a vertical fin (see blue arrow and inset) to connect the winglets placed in front of the sidepods with the rearmost edge of the car's barge boards. Also introduced by Honda here at Hockenheim, the fins decrease the vibrations of the sidepod winglets and better manage the direction of airflow towards the F2008's rear end.
Williams FW30 - front-wing development
Over the course of the German race weekend Williams adopted two separate solutions to the rearmost flap of the FW30's front wing. One change featured a narrower flap (bottom image, red arrow), while the other boasted a wider flap with a steeper profile towards its centre (top image, red arrow). While both solutions assisted in terms of drag, the second solution provided a greater level of downforce at the car's front end, and it was therefore left to the drivers to decide which configuration better suited their driving style.
Williams FW30 - additional rear flip-ups
One a number of changes within a revised aero package that Williams tested at Hockenheim last week in preparation for the German Grand Prix is these updated flip-ups in front of the rear wheels. The vertical endplate is reduced in surface area and under the main flip-up there is now an additional smaller one, following a trend set by BMW Sauber at the start of the season. This doesn't increase downforce, but does dramatically reduce turbulence in front of the rotating rear wheels, making for much better aero efficiency.
Honda RA108 - barge board developments
Honda have introduced a revised aero package in Germany. A curved vertical fin (red circle) now connects the boomerang-shaped winglet in front of the sidepods to the rearmost edge of the barge board. This solution is not dissimilar to one introduced by BMW Sauber at the start of the season and has two main advantages. Firstly it adds to the stiffness of the assembly, hence reducing harmful vibrations. Secondly it provides improved airflow management towards the rear of the car, hence raising the aero efficiency of the rear bodywork. Another part of Honda's Hockenheim revisions is the addition of two delta-shaped fins in front of the cockpit (yellow circle), similar to those on the Ferrari and Renault. Their function is to realign the airflow horizontally after it exits the front wing (normally at an incline of about 30 degrees), thus making it more useful to the car's rear-end aerodynamics, in particular winglets and the rear wing.
BMW Sauber F1.08 - cockpit winglets
Like Honda, BMW Sauber have introduced in Germany a couple of horizontal rectangular winglets on the top edge of the F1.08's chassis (red arrow) just in front of the cockpit. These work in conjunction with BMW's distinctive delta winglets further down the nosecone. The air passing over the car from the front wing normally flows at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, but the new elements redirect this flow at a more horizontal angle to help improve the rear-end aerodynamics. This in turn improves the sharpness of the car's front end and the stability of the aero balance from front to rear.
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