06 Jan 2016 . Future vision - the F1 car, 2017 style

The overhead comparison above highlights the key areas of change. Starting from the front, the nose of the car (1) is 20cm longer than in 2016, while the width of the front wing increases from 165cm to 180cm. However, the wing’s new delta shape means the distance between the front tyre and the endplate (2) remains unchanged, as does the endplate size.

The tyres are wider, with tread width up from 24.5 to 30cm at the front (3) and from 32.5 to 40 at the rear (8). This in itself is expected to make cars around three seconds per lap quicker. Meanwhile, the overall width of the car increases from 140cm to 180cm.

Restrictions on floor surface area means that rearward of the front of the cockpit (5) the car cannot be the maximum 180cm wide for its entire length (6), so there must be a cut-out at some point (7). Another proposal prescribes a minimum body width of 160cm at all points, which means the cut-out cannot be more than 10cm deep. Finally, the rear wing (9) is wider - up from 80cm to 95cm - with a bigger overhang.

Looking at the 2016 and ’17 cars front-on, we can see that the rear wing is not only wider, but also lower. The drawing above also highlights the increased width of the tyres (2), the car itself (3), and the front wing (4).

A similar comparison from the rear of the cars again makes clear the lower and wider rear wing (1/2) and the wider rear tyres. It also shows us another change: an increase in the permitted height of the rear diffuser, up from 12.5 to 22cm.

It is not only the height of the rear diffuser that is different. More importantly, the side-on comparison drawing above shows that instead of starting from the rear axle, the diffuser starts 33cm in front of it (6). As well as the nose (1) and front wing (2) changes, this drawing also shows the return of large turning vanes (3) between the front tyres and the sidepods, as well as highlighting the bigger rear wing (5) with its larger overhang, which will help boost ground effect.

10 Feb 2016 . Analysis - the radical power unit changes set to boost Ferrari in 2016

Ferrari have not held back over the winter, making modifications to almost every component - indeed only the MGU-H (2) remains in the same position as in 2015. On the engine side, Ferrari will follow Mercedes' lead and adopt variable inlet trumpets (5) for the first time. This change, which will allow better tuning of the air/fuel mixture during combustion, is possible because the large intercooler (1, top drawing) used last year has been removed from the ‘V’ of the engine and replaced with two smaller intercooler elements (1, bottom drawing). Between them, these elements (one of which will be situated on top of the fuel tank and the other on the left sidepod) will ensure that the engine has the cooling needed to maximise its extra power. To ensure that they can use a very narrow gearbox - a potential advantage aerodynamically - Ferrari have moved the MGU-K (3) and placed it low down on left side of the engine (as it is in all other manufacturers’ units). The new oil tank (4) meanwhile is both lower and wider than before, offering a potential improvement to the car's centre of gravity, while the clutch (6) is no longer in the engine but inside the gearbox bellhousing. Will these changes provide the silver bullet Ferrari are looking for? The answer to that remains to be seen, but in theory they won't just see an upswing in power unit performance, they'll see aerodynamic benefits too as the revised layout will also allow them to run much more aggressive packaging at the rear.

22 Feb 2016 . Analysis - what’s new on the Ferrari SF16-H?

At the rear of the car the long sidepods (7) are very low, with all the hot air from them expelled in the rear suspension area. The lower portion of the car’s rear (8) is very narrow thanks to a more compact gearbox design, which no longer contains the MGU-K but does feature an innovative clutch position (see related article below). The rear of the engine cover (9) is also lower and different in shape to the SF15-T’s. For launch, as at the front, the rear wing design (10) is from the end of the 2015 season.

In the front-on drawing above, you can clearly see the aforementioned shorter nose design, with its more complex, vertical front wing pillars. Also visible is the more rounded airbox shape, and the move from pullrod to pushrod front suspension - highlighted in more detail in the final drawing below.

25 Feb 2016 . Analysis - the 2017 bodywork proposals explained

With the help of technical illustrator Giorgio Piola, we bring you a visual explanation of the exact changes - changes that are predicted to increase speeds by around three seconds per lap...

29 Feb 2016 . Technical analysis - slotted bargeboards, suspension aero, S-duct evolution

Slotted bargeboards

Front suspension aerodynamics

McLaren have gone down a slightly different route. The MP4-31's suspension elements do have an aerodynamic design, but the pick-up points of the upper and lower wishbones’ rear legs are now very close together (highlighted in yellow). This not only aids the car’s anti-dive characteristics under braking, it also means the elements act together to increase their aero influence in managing the airflow under the sidepods.

S-duct evolution

10 Mar 2016 . Technical analysis - how Mercedes and Ferrari showed their ‘teeth’ in testing

The Silver Arrows’ experiments with serrations began at the tail-end of last year. In Suzuka the team introduced serrations to their front wing flap (see picture below), while later they began testing the benefits of using a serrated pattern on the trailing edge of the rear wing main plane.

This idea was trialled again during pre-season testing in Barcelona, and on the last day of running a new rear wing main plane and top flap was introduced (see picture below), similar to that used by McLaren at Hockenheim in 2014 (inset, top picture).

The thinking behind this design is to improve efficiency by reducing airflow separation and to allow airflow to reattach more easily once the DRS wing flap has reverted back to the standard position.

Ferrari’s experiments with serrations meanwhile, mirrored, what Williams ran at Monza in 2004 - a serrated Gurney flap on the trailing edge of the top flap (see below).

This solution helps to create mini vortexes which should reduce drag and increase efficiency, however the Scuderia only kept the design on the SF16-H for the first morning of the second test.

Will they use it at a race weekend in 2016? Watch this space…

20 Mar 2016 . Analysis - the single-clutch race start returns

Two paddles are still allowed, but only may be used for the start. There must be no interaction between the two paddles, and each must be operable by only one hand.

The changes follow the introduction at last year’s Belgian race of tighter restrictions on clutch bite-point finders. Inevitably, each team has come up with slightly different solutions, with some retaining dual-paddle set-ups behind the steering wheel, and others moving to a single paddle.

As shown in the drawing above, Ferrari fall into the latter camp. Compare the wheel from last year’s SF15-T machine on the left to that of the new SF16-H on the right.

21 Mar 2016 . Analysis - tech insights from Australia

McLaren TV camera mountings

Ferrari front wing updates

Toro Rosso S-duct

Ferrari rear suspension

01 Apr 2016 . Analysis - the inner workings of Mercedes’ S-duct

This drawing from renowned technical illustrator Giorgio Piola shows us the rear of the Mercedes nosecone and highlights how the side openings at the front of the nose create two separate channels for the incoming airflow.

This means that the internal ramp up which the airflow travels as it passes from the base to the top of chassis is more efficient in shape compared to other teams’ more conventional designs.

As the two channels of air reach the rear of the nose, they transfer into corresponding pipework within the vanity panel (inset), which also covers the front suspension elements, neatly passing either side of the central pitot tube without disruption before exiting the chassis at the back of the panel.

03 Apr 2016 . Analysis - Nico Rosberg, wheel to wheel

In the two drawings above from renowned technical illustrator Giorgio Piola we can see the differences between Nico Rosberg’s 2015 steering wheel and that on his latest Mercedes.

Despite the rule changes for 2016 which dictate that only one paddle may be used to release the clutch for race starts, Rosberg has opted to retain a dual-paddle clutch arrangement (lower red arrows).

The paddles’ shape, however, has been revised, with one - of Rosberg’s choosing - remaining redundant for the start. Similarly the shape of the gear change shifter, as in 2015 mounted on a single central rocker, has been altered to suit the driver, with slightly wider paddles than before (right arrow).

Rosberg’s approach contrasts with that of Ferrari, who as seen previously below have moved to a single-clutch paddle arrangement for 2016 - a move which appeared to pay dividends with their fast starts at the Melbourne season opener.

04 Apr 2016 . Analysis - Williams’ new shorter nose

Among the updates they hope could change all that is this new ultra-short nose which has been in development over the winter and which debuted on Felipe Massa’s car over the Bahrain weekend.

It is far slimmer and more sophisticated than its predecessor, with a small oval inlet at the front that diverts air via short inside channels to the outer edge of the nose. It’s a totally different approach to the S-duct being used by Mercedes and other teams, but like those it helps to energise the airflow around the lower section of the nosecone. Also new on the front wing is the slot in the inner vertical fence.

The new nose was only flown in to Sakhir on Saturday morning, and Massa admitted he had a difficult time finding a balance with it in FP3, hence the team took their time deciding whether to use it for qualifying.

They went with it, and Massa said that it found him some time, even though he was narrowly out-qualified by team mate Valtteri Bottas (using the old nose). Its performance in the race was hard to gauge, given that poor strategy proved Williams’ undoing and that Bottas took a drive-through penalty for his first-lap collision with Lewis Hamilton.

06 Apr 2016 . Ferrari’s rear diffuser evolution

The diffuser’s outer footplate has also grown in size and altered in shape. All these changes work together to help the diffuser produce more downforce. Other revisions to the SF16-H in Sakhir (unseen here) included floor modifications near the vertical turning vanes at the front of the sidepods.

17 Apr 2016 . Red Bull clutch paddle arrangement

Despite the regulation changes, nearly all the teams have kept this or a similar layout, with only Ferrari opting to replace the double clutch paddles with a single wishbone arrangement. The previously seen drawing below compares the Scuderia's 2015 and '16 set-ups.

18 Apr 2016 . Shanghai tech round-up

Toro Rosso STR10 - revised rear wing
The Italian team introduced a new rear wing design for the lower downforce demands of the Shanghai International Circuit. Gone is the previous monkey seat (left inset) in the wing’s lower section, while the flap now has an S-shaped rear trailing edge, without the gurney flap seen on the wing used in Australia (top inset).

Red Bull RB12 - serrated front wing
On Friday in China the former champions trialed a front wing featuring a serrated trailing edge on the last two flaps, similar to that which Mercedes debuted at last year’s Japanese race. The experimental design was not used in Saturday practice and qualifying.

21 Apr 2016 . Video - Williams' innovative nose and front wing development

01 May 2016 . Ferrari wishbone clutch, Mercedes steering wheel settings

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid - steering wheel labels
The 2016 steering wheels may be largely of similar shape to their 2015 counterparts, but they are becoming much more complex in order to cope with the new rules that limit communication with the pit wall. In essence, far more settings decisions are down to the driver and for the first time here we can see labels featuring question marks on Nico Rosberg’s wheel. One can assume these are to remind the driver to think twice before changing certain critical settings, with the system possibly also asking for additional confirmation before implementing the requested adjustment.

02 May 2016 . Sochi tech round-up

Ferrari SF16-H - front wing updates
Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen tested this new front wing configuration in a back-to-back comparison with the previous version (inset). The changes start from the wing’s leading red flap, but become more visible in the white ones behind, with an additional slot to create more downforce.

McLaren MP4-31 - sidepod turning vanes
In Sochi the McLaren featured these new vertical turning vanes, with an L-shaped vane (red arrow) attached to the top of the sidepod, as is the recent trend. The team’s front wing also received an additional fin in its upper flap section.

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid - front wing endplate
Seen at Mercedes in Russia was this very innovative and complex endplate for the front wing. Ultimately the team decided not to run it and postponed its debut until the Spanish round in two weeks’ time, where it will form part of a bigger aero package update.

15 May 2016 . Mercedes monkey seat updates

17 May 2016 . 3 key updates introduced in Barcelona

Ferrari SF16-H - asymmetric front brakes
Ferrari was among the teams with bigger front brake ducts in Spain. Not only that, they used an asymmetric layout with the three egg-shaped openings seen here on the ‘cake tin’ present only on the right side of the car. These aid the passage of heat from the brakes to the tyre, and helped balance temperatures with the left-front tyre - the one which does the most work around Barcelona.

Force India VJM09 - new front wing
Force India introduced what almost amounted to a B-spec version of their car in Spain, starting with a new chassis given to Sergio Perez, new sidepods and engine cover, and new floor with noticeable changes in the area in front of the rear tyres. Most visible, however, was the difference in the front wing, with a much deeper vertical step (1) in the outer section, which has also become wider (2). The upper flap, too, is new with its curved vertical fin (3), as are the fins (4) in the area beside the endplate, all designed to better manage airflow outside the front tyres.

29 May 2016 . Monaco tech updates

Ferrari SF16-H - sidepod openings
Perhaps surprisingly given Monaco’s cooling demands, Ferrari have kept the new, smaller openings in their sidepods, as introduced last time out in Spain (previous, larger version inset). The yellow highlights show how much higher the new inlet is from the ground.

Toro Rosso STR11 - front suspension fin
This clever Toro Rosso update could set a trend. The rules prevent the use of aero devices on suspension arms, but this fin (red arrow) on the front of the STR11 gets around this - it is attached to a cover around the lower wishbone, and that cover is actually part of the brake duct. Hence it complies with regulations in wording, if perhaps not in spirit. The primary function of the brake duct assembly should be cooling rather aerodynamics.

Ferrari SF16-H - front wheel rim heating
To accelerate the warm-up of their front tyres, for the first time the Ferrari wheel rims have these vertical openings (see red arrows) to direct hot air inside the rim itself.

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid - brake duct refinements
Mercedes introduced their season’s fifth set of brake duct refinements in Monaco, at the front of the car. The larger top duct can be seen in the main drawing, while the inset shows the solution - with a smaller duct - introduced for Russia and retained for Spain, where the team also debuted sophisticated front-wing endplates with three vertical slots, as well as new turning vanes under the chassis. On Thursday in Monte Carlo, however, both drivers used the wing with the previous endplates.

12 Jun 2016 . Ferrari’s Montreal engine cover

Since the last round in Monaco, the Italian team have introduced a totally new engine cover and sidepod design. Note in the drawings above how much lower the rear of the new cover is relative to the rear suspension elements (red arrows). The final section of the Montreal cover is also more open than before in order to improve hot air extraction.

13 Jun 2016 . Mercedes’ Montreal updates

L-shaped turning vanes
The F1 W07 Hybrid has evolved further since Spain, and has even seen some totally new solutions - like these long, L-shaped turning vanes (left arrow) under the chassis. They exploit the same aerodynamic principles as the vanes already seen under the barge boards in front of the car’s sidepods (below).

Front wing fins
On the front wing’s rearmost flap, Mercedes introduced this unique solution. A series of small parallel fins (red arrow) help to better direct airflow on the outside of the car’s front wheels. It was trialled first on Hamilton’s car, then on Rosberg’s too, the latter also using Canada practice to test a new front wing designed for the low-drag requirements of the upcoming Baku City Circuit race.

19 Jun 2016 . Mercedes’ bowl-shaped Baku wing

The distinctive looking rear wing above has been used by both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in Azerbaijan, having been tested briefly in slightly different form (drawing below) by Rosberg at the previous round in Canada. The main difference is the removal of the monkey seat seen in Montreal (red arrow), in order to reduce drag and improve top speed. On the wing’s trailing edge there is a small Gurney flap to help create a little more downforce in the slow corners.

20 Jun 2016 . Ferrari’s Azerbaijan aero

To balance the new front wing, Ferrari also used a low-downforce rear wing on the SF16-H. The new main plane and flap featured a lower angle of incidence to help boost straight-line speed, while the number of gills on the endplates was reduced.

03 Jul 2016 . 3 key updates seen in Spielberg

Haas VF-16 - blown front axle
Blown axles are a not uncommon feature in F1 racing - this season teams including Haas, Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Force India and Toro Rosso have used them. Passing air through the axle helps engineers to modulate brake, wheel, and thus tyre temperatures. However, the solution also creates extra drag and at some circuits - such as Spielberg - that is undesirable, hence Haas's move here to cover off the opening (red arrow).

McLaren MP4-31 - new rear wing
On Friday morning in Austria Fernando Alonso tested this new rear wing. Its radical looking endplates feature extremely long vertical slots towards the rear, with further slots at the front to help manage the airflow passing between them. To stiffen the assembly, three horizontal strakes have been added across the width of the endplate. However, it seems that wasn’t enough to guarantee a constant level of downforce, hence the wing wasn’t used for qualifying or race. It’s possible, though, that we may see a modified version at Silverstone next week.

04 Jul 2016 . Mercedes' strengthened rear suspension

05 Jul 2016 . Williams' new front wing

Massa was due to race with the wing, but at the last minute the team discovered some structural damage - thought to have been caused by vibrations over kerbs in qualifying - meaning the Brazilian had to start from the pit lane after a nose change.

10 Jul 2016 . Williams’ Silverstone aero updates

Friday in Great Britain saw both Williams drivers test the new front wing that was debuted - but ultimately not raced - on Felipe Massa’s car in Austria. Here it has been integrated with the more squared vertical nose pillars (inset) used in Canada, but not seen since on the FW38. However, both Massa and Valtteri Bottas reverted to the previous wing (as raced in Spielberg) for Silverstone qualifying and race.

11 Jul 2016 . Ferrari’s Silverstone updates

Meanwhile, underneath the car we could see these quite new chassis fins (red arrow), far more sculpted shape than the simple horizontal flaps normally seen in this area. Also new were modified brake ducts. The team will have the chance for further on-track development work at this week’s in-season test at Silverstone, where Kimi Raikkonen will be driving alongside young F1 hopeful Charles Leclerc.

24 Jul 2016 . loving the louvres in Hungary

26 Jul 2016 . what was hot in Hungary

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid - optimized cooling
Along with Malaysia, Hungary is usually one of the hottest races of the year, hence Mercedes’ decision to maximize their car’s cooling for the Hungaroring. Here we can see how they increased the size and height of these openings - complete with bulged fairings - on top of the sidepods beside the cockpit.

Ferrari SF16-H - rear diffuser updates
In their bid to close the gap to Mercedes - and indeed stay in touch with Red Bull - Ferrari brought this new rear diffuser configuration to Budapest, adding new solutions to the now standard flap cascade (inset) which they introduced in Austin last year. Note the new long and angled fin (arrows), designed to create vortices in this delicate area of airflow.

02 Aug 2016 . Floor developments dominate at Hockenheim

McLaren took a leaf out of Red Bull’s book in Germany with the introduction of a new ‘Batman’ winglet (indicated by the red arrow) just above the tea tray underneath the front of the chassis. The purpose of this aerodynamic addition, which was trialled on Fernando Alonso’s car during FP2, is to improve airflow along the length of the car, particularly around the sidepods. Red Bull have used a similar device since the start of the season.

In a bid to improve downforce, Toro Rosso introduced some alterations to the floor of the STR11 in Germany, the most prominent of which was to the inboard fin just ahead of the rear tyres. In contrast to before, this fin now has a slot in the middle of its length, thereby allowing air (yellow arrow) to move more efficiently around the rear tyres and towards the brake ducts.

In Germany Ferrari retained the rear diffuser updates introduced in Hungary. This drawing offers another view of the innovative long fin (indicated by the red arrow) on the external section of diffuser, inside the rear tyres, which has been designed to create a vortex in order to improve efficiency of the extraction of air from under the diffuser section.

08 Aug 2016 . Mercedes’ unique brake discs

09 Aug 2016 . Toro Rosso’s revised front wing

Of the many tweaks made to the front wing, the most obvious is the addition of a little fin (indicated by the black arrow) which replaces the arched section of the previous version. Smaller revisions, including changing the shape of the endplate’s trailing edge, should help improve airflow around the front tyres - a key factor for improving aero performance along the car.

28 Aug 2016 . key aero updates in Belgium

Toro Rosso STR11 - updated front wing
Toro Rosso brought two front wings to Belgium, both based on the new design introduced at the last race at Hockenheim. The key differences are the last flap, which features a reduced chord (inset) and one cut-off element (rearmost in main drawing) that was used for qualifying and the race.

Ferrari SF16-H - rear wing configurations
Friday in Belgium saw Ferrari using a low-downforce rear wing as seen in Baku (left drawing). But for qualifying and race they opted for more downforce, with a wing (right drawing) featuring four gills on the top of endplates, and bigger wing elements and flaps, with a greater angle of incidence. It proved a good solution on Saturday, but its real value could be over Sunday’s race distance when the team want to place less stress on their tyres.

Red Bull’s low-downforce Spa set-up . 30 Aug 2016

It was a similar story with the front wing, as shown in the drawing above. For Spa, Red Bull brought back the experimental design tested briefly earlier this year in China, when it featured a serrated second flap (red arrow, left). Here it was reintroduced with a shorter chord to the final flap (red arrows) and minus the serration. Both Ricciardo and team mate Max Verstappen had this configuration for qualifying and race.

making the most of Monza . 05 Sep 2016

Ferrari had two front wing options available for their home race. They chose the one shown above, without the longitudinal fin inside the endplate that was raced last time out in Belgium (inset). The red arrow on the main drawing highlights the lack of a final flap and the adjustment mechanism used to alter the angle of incidence.

Red Bull RB12 - Monza-Spa rear wing comparison

The rear wing that Red Bull introduced in Italy was very much based on the design the team ran in Monza last year - rather than the one they used last time out at Spa. As can be seen in the drawing above, among the most notable differences is the total lack of strakes or vertical gills in the endplates. Also different are the central wing support and the DRS mechanism.

Renault R.S.16 - rear bodywork trial

On Friday in Italy, Jolyon Palmer got the job of testing this revised bodywork on the rear of his Renault. The ‘cola bottle’ section is much narrower and lower than before, and it ends with an incredibly big opening, which allows all the hot air to exit only at the very back of the car.

Mercedes suspension in Singapore spotlight . 20 Sep 2016

Be it due to possible correspondence between rival teams and the FIA, or simply specialist media speculation, Mercedes’ front suspension was in the spotlight again in Singapore - even though it’s a layout first seen at the Chinese round earlier in the season. The talking point was the packaging of the team's innovative, hydraulic third suspension element (inset, above), housed transversely in the upper chassis bulkhead, which facilitates better control of ride height and roll.

Mercedes have pushed the regulations to the limit here, cleverly utilizing both a dimensional allowance added last year so that Manor (then Marussia) could use an adapted version of their previous season’s car, and the familiar vanity panel (see drawing above) on top of the chassis - originally introduced to cars in 2013 to smooth out the infamous ‘stepped’ noses. This aggressive interpretation of the rule book has allowed the world champions to house their complex suspension componentry - and critically the access needed to adjust it - high in the chassis, whilst still respecting the regulations on chassis height. Other teams have a third suspension element (though few are hydraulic) and most still use a vanity panel for suspension access, but none has been so extreme in their design philosophy.

Interestingly, since the Hungarian round in July, Mercedes have also placed a cover (right arrow, above) on top of the hydraulic damper, effectively hiding it from view when the vanity panel is removed. (The left arrow shows the pipes used to check the pressure in the braking system.)

Mercedes test a first in front wing development . 01 Oct 2016

Ferrari under-chassis aero . 04 Oct 2016

McLaren rear wing developments . 05 Oct 2016

Ferrari front wing pillars . 09 Oct 2016

Ferrari and McLaren Suzuka updates . 11 Oct 2016

Slightly further back on the SF16-H, Ferrari repeated a similar update (above) to that seen in Austin last year (below), introducing new turning vanes under the chassis with three rather than two elements, and the addition of a horizontal ‘batman’ wing, all in order to improve the car’s aero balance.

And at McLaren the team again used the new front wing below which they debuted on the MP4-31 in Malaysia, now with much wider slots between all 10 elements, and a much broader footstep area just inside the endplate.

McLaren’s engine cover camera . 22 Oct 2016

2017 testing well underway in Austin . 24 Oct 2016

Like Mercedes, McLaren have been trialling front wing developments and this revised solution looked very much like a first step towards what could well be seen on the Woking team’s 2017 machine. As with Mercedes, the big changes are concentrated on the outer part of the wing, as this is the area - beside the endplate, in front of what will be wider tyres next year - crucial to controlling airflow over and around the front wheels. Highlighted in yellow, you can see the footstep near the endplate is gone, with the main plane now almost totally flat - without the previous U-shape (red arrow). Note also the extra vertical fences under the main plane. McLaren also caught engineers’ eyes in Austin with their engine cover camera.

Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid - floating front wing endplate

In Austin it was Nico Rosberg’s turn to run the innovative endplate design seen briefly on team mate Lewis Hamilton’s car at the previous round in Malaysia. This front-on view from below the wing clearly highlights (in yellow) how the main plane is detached from the endplate for around the first 20cm.

McLaren MP4-31 - rear diffuser

It wasn’t just the front of the car coming under McLaren’s consideration in Austin. At the rear the team are still pushing hard with development work, including this new diffuser with a return to two vertical splitters (red arrow), not dissimilar to those seen in the days of the blown diffuser.

Ferrari SF16-H - T-tray winglet

On Friday in Austin Sebastian Vettel tested a different configuration of under-chassis aero, with the winglet shown here (red arrow, left) no longer attached to the car’s underside, but instead attached directly to the T-tray (area indicated by dotted red arrow) as Red Bull and McLaren have been doing this season. Unfortunately, heavy vibrations over kerbing caused the winglet to detach whilst on track, forcing Vettel to revert to the previous layout, as tested in Malaysia and race in Japan.

McLaren’s 2017 front wing concept . 29 Oct 2016

Mercedes 2017 brake development . 13 Nov 2016

It is difficult to know the exact purpose of this solution. It could be to provide better brake temperature and bite at the beginning of the braking area, or it could be to dissipate heat away from the discs by transferring it to the spacers, which have their own cooling holes and dedicated duct (see blue arrows). It is also possible the set-up is designed to simulate the slightly wider brake discs that will become legal for 2017, allowing the team to study the thermal impact on the brakes and the tyres.

the changes to help Hamilton combat start woes . 15 Nov 2016

unique Ferrari exhaust, Red Bull T-tray wing . 27 Nov 2016

Ferrari have a very expensive and complex the way of building their exhaust system. Unlike most other teams’, it is not formed from tubing but is instead machined from a solid block of metal, making it lighter and more reliable. It’s a solution that has been on the SF16-H since the team’s home race at Monza in September.

Red Bull RB12 - T-tray wing mounting

Red Bull were the first team this season to modify the fixing point of the bat wing (red arrow) introduced in 2014 by Mercedes. Instead of being attached to the lower part of the chassis, it is fixed to the T-tray - a solution since copied by McLaren and Ferrari.