Having spent its tokens at the rear of their 2021 Formula 1 car, Scuderia Ferrari was not able to make any structural changes to their nose. Yet in an effort to improve flow around the main body and incorporate a more prominent cape the Maranello team narrowed the front wing mounting pillars to free up the space needed.
Ferrari SF21 nose cap comparison:
Ferrari SF21 chassis winglet:
The SF21’s ‘S’-duct outlet was also framed by four winglets either side of the chassis to help divert the surrounding airflow.
Ferarri SF21 floor
Having tested a 2021-specification floor during Free Practice sessions in the previous season, the Italian side initially implemented a tapered floor solution, much like what the rules had intended.
This included a trio of outwash winglets midway along the tapers length, a collection of winglets on the outer edge of the floor just before the tyre and a horizontal blade connecting them with the strake inboard of them. It also added a trio of fins beside the rear tyre to help mitigate any additional turbulence that might be caused by the regulation and tyre changes (inset, red arrow).
The team moved to the Z-shaped floor cutout in Imola, utilising an angled strake on the forward joint in order to help promote the desired aerodynamic effect.
Ferrari SF21 floor detail comparison
Ferrari followed this up by making changes to the number and design of the fins mounted on the rear outer edge of the floor. Ferrari SF21 rear wing Spanish Grand Prix:
The high downforce wing used by the team featured elements that took up a significant percentage of the allowable box region and a double element T-Wing. Ferrari SF21 rear wing qualification and race, Azerbaijan Grand Prix:
The lower downforce offering as a comparison with no T-Wing.
The medium downforce wing sported a spoon-shaped mainplane in order to create more downforce in the central section of the wing, whilst reducing the drag created at the wing tips.
Ferrari also had a few front wing specifications at their disposal, with notable differences to the shape of the footplate and the position of the adjuster, with the latter dictating how much of the wingspan is adjusted.
The trio of outwash winglets that had featured on the tapered floor solution made a return later in the season, applied this time to the Z-shaped floor. Also note how the lower portion of the rear wing endplate was cut back, where previously it had a tail section.
Ferrari spent its development tokens for the 2021 season on their gearbox carrier in order to extract more performance.
One of the variants of the SF21’s front brake duct bodywork without the outer cowling attached.
Ferrari uses a brake drum heater when the car is in the garage in order that all of the components are brought up to the optimum temperature.
The more open version of the Ferrari brake duct designs includes a wedge-shaped strake to help define the airflows path in the bypass section.
A close up side view of the chassis horns mounted beside the ‘S’-duct outlet.
A close up of the trio of ‘r’-shaped fins added to the central section of the Z-shaped floor cutout.
A look at some of the rear cooling outlet options used by Ferrari in the early stages of the season, along with the optional louvered cooling panels beside the cockpit (inset).
A shot of the lower downforce rear wing used by Ferrari at the Belgian GP, note the green dots on the wing which were used by the FIA for reference points when examining the rearward facing camera footage.
A comparison of the front wing used at Monza, where the upper two flaps had been re-profiled.
A shot of the Ferrari power unit during the car build at the Russian GP. Note how the exhausts weave their way under the ICE and into the gearbox casing behind the power unit.
The large kiel probe array returned in Abu Dhabi as the team collected data on the airflow’s behaviour once more.
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