The Thursday ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring allowed us to closely observe some interesting details of the cars. With the cars not yet assembled to run on the track, our eyes focused on the technical details that differentiate the cars. In this Thursday Tech Gallery of the Austrian GP, we discover some interesting details and the differences between the brake ducts.
The most important differences are not visible
As with the floor, the differences that make the cars more performance-oriented are found under the surface. One of them is the floor, which features different geometries for each car since they must work on different aerodynamic maps. Aerodynamics also involve the brakes, which are now much more constrained in terms of thermal management. Unfortunately, we were unable to gather images of Red Bull and Mercedes, but walking in the pit lane, Ferrari and McLaren were uncovered. We took the opportunity to make some comparisons.
For Ferrari, the chosen material is aluminum. Source: f1ingenerale
The differences between the MCL38 and SF-24 start with the opening that brings air to the brake calipers, discs, and pads. On the Ferrari, it is slightly narrower, while on the McLaren it has a more elongated shape for greater intake capacity. Probably, the system of the English car needs a greater air flow to function, or it is larger as a consequence of the front wing’s aerodynamics.
Moving on to the duct itself, the differences are also visible in the materials, with McLaren using carbon fiber, unlike Ferrari, which uses aluminum. These two choices also have different thermal management in terms of heat radiation. It should be noted that carbon systems operate at very high temperatures compared to steel systems, which suffer beyond certain values.
A carbon sculpture for McLaren. Source: f1ingenerale
On the Ferrari, the brake ducts are not positioned above the disc; they supply the system just above the middle of the disc. In the aluminum body, we can also identify the channels that bring air to the brake components. On the McLaren, however, the ducts also cover the top part of the disc. This configuration choice could be due to different factors, including the center of gravity and the lowering of unsprung masses.
The brake ducts of Racing Bulls. Source: f1ingenerale
Moving to the Racing Bulls, we find different choices again, with the ducts almost entirely enclosing the system. In the Faenza car’s system, we can also see the lower caliper cover and the duct that feeds the outer part of the caliper.
Ferrari SF-24 flap and endplate. Source: f1ingenerale
Ferrari SF-24 flap and endplate. Source: f1ingenerale
Ferrari SF-24 flap and endplate. Source: f1ingenerale
Among other interesting elements from the pit lane visit is the junction between the flap and endplate. On the Ferrari, a metal element, probably aluminum, is used, which slopes downward. This feeds the outwash effect of the wing, improving the resistance and efficiency of the wing itself. On the Haas, an aluminum junction element is also used, but this time it is colored black.
Source: f1ingenerale
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