SINGAPOUR 2008 : Technical News

Red Bull RB4 - nosecone delta winglets

When BMW Sauber introduced this solution at the start of the season it looked very radical. It now seems less so, having inspired similar, if slightly differently shaped designs from Honda and McLaren. In Singapore, Red Bull have introduced an almost exact copy to help cope with the track's specific demands in terms of grip and balance. The revised nose provides a better quality of airflow to the car's sidepod inlets, which are particularly small on the RB4. It also helps improve airflow to the rear of the car, even if it doesn't generate a significant amount of additional downforce.

Williams FW30 - front wing development

One of Williams' two front wing options in Singapore is a newly revised version sporting a rounded central spoon profile, instead of the standard square one, and slightly raised extremities to the main profile and flaps. This configuration provides almost as much downforce at the front as the standard version, but is less sensitive to ride height variations - crucial at this circuit due to the inherently bumpy characteristics of its track surface.

Renault R28 - front wing development

Even with the end of the season in sight, Renault have continued to develop the R28, and in Singapore the car boasted a revised front wing. The biggest change to the wing was to the flap, which sported a squared spoon profile (see central red arrow and inset), instead of the more rounded version seen on the R28 at the Monza race. The wing's endplates were also modified and featured small horizontal winglets (see left red arrow).

Ferrari F2008 - front wheel inner winglets

Ferrari introduced a number of subtle changes in Singapore to further optimize the F2008 package. One was to the winglets placed on the inner face of the front brake drums, just behind the air inlet. The previous, smaller version, with their slightly upward-curving profile, was replaced with this revised design featuring a completely flat profile and almost twice the cross-sectional area. The new winglets modify the airflow passing close to the inner side of the front wheels in such a way that it can then be better diverted into the radiator inlets by the winglets further back on the car, directly in front of the sidepods.

McLaren MP4-23 - sidepod winglet development

In Valencia McLaren increased the height of the sidepod winglets. In Singapore they have increased their length, bringing their leading edge forwards by around 12cm (area to right of dotted line). The main effect of this is to increase the efficiency and cooling capabilities of the MP4-23's very small radiator inlets - critical given the high temperatures and humidity here. The horizontal slits have also been elongated to minimise the aero disruption caused by the winglets' increased dimensions. The leading edge of the winglet is now almost completely vertical, increasing the quantity of air diverted towards the rear of the car, and helping to improve the extraction of hot air from the top of the sidepod's small venting gills.