Join us as we delve into the latest technical developments on display at the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, courtesy of Giorgio Piola and Motorsport Images.
Click on the arrows on the images to scroll through them…
Racing Point RP20 rear wing detail
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Last seen at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Racing Point has installed a spoon-shaped rear wing for the Sakhir GP as it looks to reduce some of the downforce and drag on the RP20.
Mercedes AMG W11 front
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The W11 is prepared for action by the Mercedes mechanics with the necessary adjustments being made for George Russell, who replaces Lewis Hamilton. With the brake drums removed we can see the twisted bypass pipework that takes airflow collected by the main inlet and dispenses it out the wheel face.
Mercedes F1 W11 floor detail
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
A great shot of the Mercedes W11’s floor as it is lent against the garage wall, giving us a view of all the holes and slots on the edge of the floor, the slots in the splitter extension and the perforated Gurney extensions that follow the edge of the diffuser.
Mercedes F1 W11 rear detail
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
See how the lighting shows off the rear wing endplates contours and how deep the six upwash strikes can be as a consequence.
A Renault F1 mechanic at work in the garage
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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
A look at the inboard suspension elements on the Renault RS20, more specifically the heave element.
Ferrari mechanics in the garage with one of their cars
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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The front brake assemblies on the Ferrari SF1000. It usually uses an asymmetric layout with a more-open brake drum on one side whereas here it has the same style on both sides.
Ferrari SF1000 front brake drum detail
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Photo by: Giorgio Piola
A close up of the brake duct and drum configuration, note the fins on the inside of the fence, not a novelty to Ferrari but interesting to see the steep angle they’re mounted at.
Alfa Romeo mechanics work on one of their cars in the garage
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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
As a comparison, here’s the Alfa Romeo front end and we can see how it has a window open above the brake disc to help heat escape.
Sparks fly from Sergio Perez, Racing Point RP20
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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Sparks fly from the titanium skid blocks on the underside of the floor on the Racing Point but also note the gradual spoon-shaped rear wing being used this weekend.
Sergio Perez, Racing Point RP20, Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C39
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Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
As Perez trundles down the pitlane on the speed-limiter we can see there are two large pods mounted either side of the airbox. These house additional thermal imaging cameras that monitor temperatures on both sides of the car, both front and rear.
Carlos Sainz Jr., McLaren MCL35
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Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Similarly, McLaren has thermal imaging cameras monitoring all four tyres on Carlos Sainz’s car, albeit in different pods.
Sparks fly from Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16
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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Sparks flying off the underside of Max Verstappen’s RB16 illuminate the rear wing which has been painted with flo-viz as the team assess whether it’s performing as expected.
Sparks kick up from Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C39
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Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Alfa Romeo trialling a spoon-shaped rear wing on Giovinazzi’s car as it looks for the best performance trade-off for the new circuit layout. Also note the forces being exerted on the left rear tyre, as the tyre wrinkles under load.