In my analysis of the McLaren MCL39 FSUS junction update, I had questioned if the new aggressive upwashing junctions might shed a small vortex that could re-energize the slow moving boundary layer along the nose.

McLaren introduced a new front wing with some interesting little end element winglets. IMO, these aren’t really wings generating much load. They are more vortex generators shedding counter-clockwise small vortices that all co-rotate and merge downstream…cont

Heck of a glow up for McLaren from 2022 to present on the front brakes. From a liability to an advantage. That’s just great engineering folks!

Been thinking about this new Sauber Side Pod intake since I first saw it. Pretty cool little design. Here is what I THINK is happening. 🧵

Some are calling the new Mercedes W16 side pod the “tadpod” as it looks like the shape of a tadpole. Pitlane shots from Albert Park now shows how Mercedes did this. You can see the “belly” of the tadpole shape where the rads are located and stacked.

LOVE FLOW VIS!! RB21 here... Red arrow shows that the aero neutral suspension arms aren't as down washing as some might expect. This shows an upwards trajectory after the rear leg from the flow coming off the front wing. We do see some downward deflection from the flow UNDER the trailing arm.

When I first saw the flow vis posted by @xaviimages I knew something was a bit off. It’s not typical that you see these types of patterns. Even with the new cut end wings (see MCL from 2023) the junction from where the DRS and end piece meet is usually uniform and neat…

Hell of a week last week huh? 😂😂

A good look at how the Mercedes W16 forward floor is working. Pretty standard solutions today using a small forward edge gurney, and integrated curl with VG's on the edge wing. Always a good thing to explain for some that may not have seen this before.

Really interesting look here at the RB21 G-Line. There seems to be a slight bulge maybe in the floor (Blue) which funnels the floor edge wing inflow into a particular position. Possibly some influence from the forward curl? The mechanics here are fascinating.

A good photo from Mateusz M on X where we can draw a few observations from this. Firstly, we can see the influence of the floor leading edge in helping to upwash some of the inboard air from the nose and FW,

Nice graphic showing the types of vortices that can be formed at the junction of two surfaces. Easy to see this as an example of the a-arm fairing junction with the monocoque. Without junction fairings (gaiters or flexis) the losses could be disruptive to distress aero elements

A fresh new aero analysis of the Ferrari SF-25 from the shakedown photos. Click the link below to watch along! www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P0L...

"Yep that's me.... you re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation.. "

I love how this image shows the natural relationship and intent of aero features to serve a purpose. The alignment of the leading edge of the shark bite with the upwashing flow from the front wing, the outboard sidepod shape to build static pressure to hold the upper front tyre wake outboard…

Nice top shot of the FW47 showing the minimal engine cover gulleys. You can see how they work to hold the cockpit losses high and keep it contained. This keeps the losses from migrating down the engine cover and into the water slide on the sidepod feeding much needed energy to the rear of the car.

Cheeky little tech feature on the MCL39. It's a split strake with a single slot bypass on the lower half. Like a multi-element wing, this slot gap helps to energize this lower half where junction losses at the intersecting point with the body would be present. This slot bypass..

MotoGP aero is getting really fun to watch. Stacked wings, cascading winglets. Lots of fun stuff to see here. All in the name of bringing some rear load, and slimming wakes from bluff structures. 😍😍

The 2025 cars will soon be here, and one specific area I will be paying careful attention to is the forward floor, and edge wing designs. In Adrian Newey’s latest interview with AMuS, he mentions the importance of finding solutions for Venturi ground effect floors....

Ford just announced they will have a LMDh entry for Le Mans in 2027!! Let’s gooooo! @fordperformance.bsky.social

I’ve been a bit quiet around here because our 4th child was born a few days before Christmas and life has been a bit chaotic 😁. The family is doing amazing, and our little dude is healthy. Also, my wife finally talked me into doing one of those newborn photo sessions.. 😂😂. So enjoy. 😉

I've posted on this point a few times now, but it's worth a reminder. There will ALWAYS be differences in thought and development philosophy in teams. RBR is not the only one to have suffered from this. Just look at the tragic story of the W13 and W14 for instance…

Why does the front wing matter so much? And how does front wing element flexibility make a difference to the balance of the car? Well the simple answer is… it’s not that simple of an answer. 😂 More below 👇

The 2025 season is coming, and the car launches are almost here! This means lots of car launch analysis by me as well! Be sure to follow my YouTube page at the link below, as I will be doing more launch spec analysis there this season! youtube.com/@drobbs6463?...

This weekend is the Rolex24Hours we have got you covered! In the latest episode of the pod we had a chance to hear first hand from Ben Bode all about the challenges in preparing for a race season, and performing at the highest levels. Be sure to listen and download to be ready for race weekend!

When I am attending a social gathering and someone within earshot of me starts talking about Formula 1….

Reading through the latest 2026 FIA Technical Regulations. One of the harder things for me is to visualize where these reference volumes are, and what they are named. So I created a bit of a cheat sheet for myself. I think this is correct as far as I am reading.

The FiA released updated renders of the 2026 car. I did a little aero overview of some of the more interesting features. Link to watch below. youtu.be/3BQjqO7Sebg?...

The FIA has updated their technical regulations for 2025. And here is the long and short of it. 1. Loophole for mini DRS is now closed. 2. Driver cooling aid devices now added 3. No changes to front and rear wing flex tests. In summary, flexi wings are probably here until 2026. Thoughts? 🤔

Interesting look at the first lap contact between Max and Oscar in AD. Max came in way too hot into T1, but was on the brakes the whole time to try and slow. Meanwhile Piastri brakes oddly super early compared to Norris. Unfortunate contact, but for a moment there was a gap! (It closed quickly) 😉

What a great end to the season! Congrats to McLaren on winning the constructors championship! And to Max for the drivers! Teams will now be in development mode for 2025. Lots of fun stuff to look at for next season! Enjoy your Christmas!! I’ll be somewhere eating lots of BBQ and resting up!!

The turnaround of the RB20 in Qatar from Sprint to race is an excellent view into how technical the race engineering of these ground effects cars is. Naturally some cars are more difficult to find performance with, but we only need to look across the grid for track to track results of other teams..

The latest episode of the podcast has dropped! We get into all the topics from Vegas to Qatar. Just in time for your commute! Give us a listen and follow if you like what you hear!

Ferrari and McLaren looking strong out of the box in Qatar. Track temps should drop ahead of SQ in a few hours. Could change things some, but probably not enough to disrupt those two.

If you want to know more about floor and diffuser aero then I highly recommend the below links from former Williams aero Jack Chilvers. tameaero.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/a... tameaero.wordpress.com/2024/06/10/a... tameaero.wordpress.com/2024/08/28/a...

It’s both! Diffusers are a means to expand the flow from the region of high suction through the body of the floor. Pressure recovery aids in the extraction of air through the system, increasing the effectiveness of the floor. So, the diffuser enables the floor to be as impactful as possible. But..

How about a little F1 Tech discussion? A great shot from @xavigazquez.bsky.social of the Mercedes diffuser begs the question.. does the diffuser of a F1 car PRODUCE downforce, or ENABLE downforce production? Comment below 🤔

These next few races should be very interesting from a development standpoint for 2025. You see teams run experimental parts in Free Practice to help with gaining knowledge towards the 2025 car. Hopefully we see plenty of this in AD!

Lusail International Circuit, and the QatarGP is next up! A track that was originally built for motorbikes, it features a lot of high energy fast and flowing corners. Efficiency will be key, and Tyre temp management will be paramount. Lots of lateral energy in this one!!

♠️♥️♣️♦️Finally had a chance to watch qualifying. Amazing how much Tyre preparation has to do with the performance here. It really is all about the tyres. All to race for though in race trim with Tyre degradation being a big problem for many during the long runs.

Red Bull showed their R22 update at the Las Vegas GP. The update includes a revised fwd floor fence geometry. From what I’ve been told, the aim of this update is to have better fwd floor extraction resulting in more outwash to the fwd floor edge. This improved extraction and outwash MAY result in,

I mentioned this in X. From the info I have, the engine cover shoulder gulleys have a strong impact on the overall drag of the car. The engine cover chosen for Vegas is the draggier solution for more rear load. So it isn’t a RW issue (as far as I’m told)

Talk of Tyre graining is back after FP1 in Vegas! And with the much cooler ambient temperatures and low grip, I can’t say I’m surprised. But what is Tyre graining and how does it happen? Let’s dive into a bit deeper I. The posts below 👇🏼

Another incredible image from my mate Xavi Images. The shear complexity of design in this area is just mind bottling. Each surface and treatment given the utmost attention. Working together to produce an optimal solution. The cars are works of art!

LOVE this image by Xavi of the SF-24 in the high speed parabolica at Monza. It's a great illustration of the immense forces exerted on the car as it rolls through the corner.You can see this from the differences in the diffuser wall proximally with the ground from the left to right side of the car.

This image from xavi on X is so great! The flow viz streaklines show just how much upwash the underside of the rear wing generates. Even quite some distance away from the wing, the flow field is still affected by it. So cool when you can visualize the flow like this! 😍😍

The #lasvegasgp is coming and Red Bull Racing had planned for their final update package of the year to be in Vegas. As far as I’m told, this hasn’t changed, but I don’t expect anything major. As Red Bull have been on this stability of development arc, I expect the updates to…

Wife: “babe why are you taking a picture of my mirror?” Me: “there are aero streaklines on it after the rain shower.” Wife: “what the hell is a steak line?” Me: …… 😂😂

All the people that joined Bluesky from the start like….

Hey that’s me and @mollym-o.bsky.social ! We had a good chat in a few controversial topics in the latest podcast. You can follow our pod at the account below and never miss an episode!