Teams bring fewer F1 upgrades to Japan

With the European part of the F1 season now over, and the end of the year approaching, there are fewer developments finding their way onto cars.

That’s the case at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, though some teams have bits still in train.

Haas is known to have a sweeping upgrade for the United States Grand Prix, and other small developments are likely to continue appearing for the balance of the campaign.

By and large, however, the significant updates have all been made with attentions now turned to the 2024 car – or items that can be carried over.

 

Ferrari

Updated component	Primary reason for update	Geometric differences compared to previous version	Brief description on how the update works
Floor Body	Performance -Flow Conditioning	Revision of front floor fences, floor edge, mid floor and diffuser sidewall. Sidepod undercut re-designed to suit	Not specific to Suzuka circuit and part of the standard development process, the floor topology has been revised focusing on losses management and load distribution, which translates into a car efficiency increase

Mercedes

Updated component	Primary reason for update	Geometric differences compared to previous version	Brief description on how the update works
Rear Wing	Performance -Local Load	Vane added to outer face of rear wing endplate.	This vane generates a small vortex which in turn generates a small amount of local downforce and drag.

McLaren

Updated component	Primary reason for update	Geometric differences compared to previous version	Brief description on how the update works
Beam Wing	Circuit specific -Drag Range	New offloaded Beamwing	A new Beam Wing geometry, featuring a reshaped upper and lower element, reducing aerodynamic load and drag efficiently, suitable for this circuit.
Sidepod Inlet	Performance -Flow Conditioning	Sidepod Inlet Packer	The Sidepod Inlet has been modified with the addition of a packer, which improves local flow conditioning and results in improved cooling performance.

Aston Martin

Updated component	Primary reason for update	Geometric differences compared to previous version	Brief description on how the update works
Front Corner	Circuit specific -Cooling Range	New front brake duct scoop with reduced inlet size compared to the previous version.	The smaller inlet area reduces massflow in the brake duct and hence cooling of the disc and calliper. This is a setup component for circuits with lower braking requirements.

Scuderia AlphaTauri

Updated component	Primary reason for update	Geometric differences compared to previous version	Brief description on how the update works
Rear Wing	Performance – Local Load	Relative to the previous geometry, the rear wing endplate junction with the rear wing elements has been updated.	The updated tips increase the efficiency of the assembly of this rear wing drag level, which is anticipated to be the best choice for this circuit based on lap time analysis.
Other – Rear View Mirror	Performance – Drag reduction	Compared to the baseline rear view mirror assembly, three turning vanes have been removed from the outboard mirror stem.	Tested and raced at R15, this is a repeat test item at higher downforce than that event. While removal of thee vanes reduces drag, the modifcation also reduces outwash that acts upon upper front wheel wake losses, so their removal will be retested at this medium downforce circuit to assess the drag reduction versus wheel wake control trade.

Williams

Updated component	Primary reason for update	Geometric differences compared to previous version	Brief description on how the update works
Floor Fences	Performance -Flow Conditioning	The height of the most inboard forward floor fence is reduced.	This trim of the most inboard forward floor fence offloads the fence which affects both the local load and the rearward flow field.