Formula 1 has bid farewell to Europe following yet another Max Verstappen and Red Bull triumph on the historic Monza track. The circus is set to land in Singapore next weekend, and despite a season dominated by the RB19’s unbeaten performance, there are numerous points of interest. This round marks the implementation of technical directive TD018, aimed at enforcing stricter regulations on the flexibility of the car’s aerodynamic appendages. In a way, this directive can be seen as a logical extension of TD039, which was introduced to address porpoising issues, filling in some regulatory gray areas regarding the flexibility of the car’s underfloor. Teams received notice of this new directive before the summer break and have likely made structural changes to ensure compliance with the new regulations. As is often the case in such situations, there is considerable curiosity about who might be affected by the FIA’s actions and who will benefit from having adhered to the technical regulations’ spirit from the outset.
According to some rumors, Mercedes may face difficulties due to the flexibility of their rear wing, while Red Bull, on the other hand, may have stiffened their underfloor. Haas has already announced that their rear wing will need reinforcement, while Williams is focusing on the floor. It’s rumored that Aston Martin has already made modifications to their front wing, which was visibly flexible during the early rounds of the season. Another variable is the circuit’s geometry changes. The Marina Street Circuit track has been altered in its narrower section, with a straight connecting Turn 15 directly to what was Turn 20 in the previous layout.
This modification could increase on-track action and undoubtedly make lap times quicker. Lastly, with six races to go, Red Bull mathematically has the opportunity to secure the World Championship for the sixth time in just 18 years in the premier open-wheel racing category. This is a statistic that should give Formula 1’s governing bodies and competitors pause for thought, as they have been utterly powerless this year in the face of a dominance untouched by any controversies regarding the car’s legality. However, the Asian leg of the season has not typically been a favorable hunting ground for the two-time Dutch World Champion. Last year, due to a grid penalty and some race-day mishaps, Max Verstappen finished a lackluster seventh, while Sergio Perez claimed victory in mixed track conditions. Meanwhile, from the circuit come the first images of the race cars and the aerodynamic choices made by the teams.
Scuderia Ferrari has brought back the high-downforce rear wing with a single pylon support, replacing the double support wing used at Monza.
It remains to be seen if the revamped Asian circuit will require a different setup compromise between its various straights and low-speed sections. Mercedes has essentially chosen a similar starting configuration, opting for a high aerodynamic load at the rear.
The most eagerly anticipated car is AlphaTauri, which is expected to debut an evolved version of the AT04 in Singapore. According to rumors, it should substantially align with the aerodynamic philosophy of its dominant Red Bull RB19 cousin. The update package is widely referred to as a ‘Red Bull upgrade’ because AlphaTauri will incorporate more features from the Red Bull RB19. The development direction was indirectly confirmed by the CEO of the Faenza-based team, Peter Bayer: “We’ve seen some incredible steps this year, with Aston Martin but also McLaren, which suddenly took a big leap forward. I think it’s because everyone has realized that what Red Bull was doing in terms of design philosophy was the right way. We have a significant upgrade coming in Singapore. It follows the same philosophy, so everyone is trying to use it, and I think next year, everything will be very similar.”
Today, we will likely have more details on the other updates brought by the teams for the first Asian leg of the calendar, although in the Ferrari camp, no significant updates are announced (click here for more details).”
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