TD
T EC H N I CA L DE B R I E F
Wi t h G i org i o P i o l a an d Matthew Som erfield
Technical
Debrief
WITH GIORGIO PIOLA
& M AT T H E W S O M E R F I E L D
Given the very similar aerodynamic philosophies that Red
Bull and McLaren share it’s of no surprise that the Wokingbased team was quick on the heels of its adversary and also
decided to implement a splitter winglet at the German GP.
The winglet takes into account the aerodynamic nuances
between the RB12 and MP4-31 with the winglet shaped
slightly differently, as the latter is less inclined and features
an abrupt upturn at the outer edges.
It won’t have gone unnoticed by many that the pair use
a particularly aggressive rake on their car’s (nose down
attitude), which means they are often seen to chase different
aerodynamic concepts to the rest of the field, with the
splitter winglet an indication of how the rake affects the
airflow in this region.
This area of the car seems to be of particular interest to
Ferrari too as it looks for further improvements on next
year’s car, as since the United States GP the team has also
been testing its own version of the splitter winglet we’ve
already seen Red Bull and McLaren adopt.
As we head toward the change in regulations for 2017
it is easy to see that certain areas of the car are going to be
ripe for development, and whilst many will be focused on
getting the big things right it is the details that will separate
the grid. The enlarged bargeboards, 100mm shorter splitter
and 200mm longer nose are all obstacles, and opportunities,
for the designers.
How these winglets, be it bat or splitter, fit into the new
scheme is yet to be understood. But one thing is for sure,
it’s unlikely to be the last time we’ve seen them.
At this point several of the teams had settled into a similar
solution to the one adopted by Red Bull in 2015, running
horizontal fins attached to the rear of the turning vanes.
But when the RB12 broke cover it was apparent that
Red Bull had decided to forge another path. Placed on the
upper surface of the splitter was a much bulkier winglet
and whilst not as imposing as the ones run by BrawnGP and
Williams in 2009 and 2010 respectively, its intention seemed
similar nonetheless.
The departure of James Allison from Ferrari seemed to
refocus the Scuderia on this area of the car, and whilst the
team had already introduced chassis winglets at Silverstone,
they opted to make a return to the more complex turning
vanes and the ‘bat-wing’ that they ran in the latter part of
2015 in Japan.
The goal of this splitter winglet remains the same as the
‘bat-wing’ – reposition the Y250 vortex in order that other
flow structures are protected from the wake produced by
the front tyre. However, it’s clear that Red Bull’s philosophy
differs in such a way that the winglets position needs to be
both lower and further back than the corresponding winglet
used by Mercedes.
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