There is an insightful idiom that says “the clothes do not make the monk”. This also applies to Formula 1 single-seaters, where many strengths are often under the bodywork. Thanks to the photos collected by the journalists present in the the Bahrain paddock, we have the opportunity to compare the solutions adopted by the top F1 teams for radiators.
What immediately catches the eye is the diversity in terms of choices made by the teams. It seems that no team has decided to copy another. Each has gone in its own direction. However, the most innovative seems to be once again Red Bull, which has chosen to thoroughly revise its cooling system.
Red Bull RB20, among the top teams, is the most extreme on radiators
The technicians in Milton Keynes have thought outside the box to position the radiating masses on the RB20. We find the intercooler lying on the lower part of the sidepods. This position helps with the center of gravity and compensates for the higher placement of the water and oil radiators. The latter are now lifted and tilted forward. The size of the central radiator located above the Power Unit has been reduced.
Red Bull has, therefore, devoted a lot of attention to the cooling system to find its optimal packaging. It is also very interesting to see how each opening of the RB20 has been designed to feed a specific area of the car.
The new vertical intake feeds the turbo intercooler. The sidepods’ inlet brings air to the water and oil radiators. The airscoop cools the central radiator, while the innovative openings on the sides of the driver’s helmet feed the radiators positioned under the so-called “bazooka.”
Ferrari SF-24, continuity with last year
In Maranello, they decided not to make major changes compared to the SF-23. However, some novelties are still visible. The radiators now have an arched geometry inspired by Red Bull.
The intercooler on the Red car is in a completely different position than what was seen on the RB20. Ferrari has chosen to use the shaping of the chassis to place the heat exchanger in front of the power unit. Red Bull seems to have dared a little more in their choices, but this does not automatically mean they are better. The SF-24 seems to focus on reliability.
Mercedes W15, farewell to all past solutions
At Brackley, they chose to abandon all the concepts of the last two cars, and this also affects the position of the radiating masses. Mercedes has taken a step back, returning to a standard placement. The W15 seems to be, among the top F1 teams, the most “classic” in the radiator area, as the Mercedes technicians have worked to achieve maximum cleanliness under the sidepods. Often, simplicity pays off more than complex solutions like those seen on the W13 and W14.
McLaren MCL38, daring to try to catch up with Red Bull
The English team wanted to stand out from the others from the start of the sidepod. The MCL38 is indeed the only single-seater with a small and not horizontally elongated inlet section. McLaren sought a much wider undercut to have a greater flow towards the bottom. This choice forced raising the position of the sidepod radiators, slightly penalizing the car’s center of gravity. The central radiator positioned on the power unit remains present.
As we have seen, there has not been a clear technical convergence. Each single-seater has its own unique solutions. Certainly, some have tried to innovate a little more, but the performance verdict will only be given by the track, starting with the Bahrain circuit this weekend.
Source: f1ingenerale
Leave a Reply