(Motorsports news) Following the lead of pacesetters Red Bull, teams have shifted towards the downwashing idea with the introduction of the new regulations in 2022. To increase downforce, a downwash design directs airflow toward the diffuser and the lower portion of the vehicle. But according to AlphaTauri’s Technical Director JodyEgginton, there are no assurances when going that route, so teams need to know how to take full advantage of it.
According to him, “people do converge in any regulation.” “Red Bull, McLaren, and several other teams have demonstrated some truly intriguing paths for development, and everyone is observing what each other is doing.” Furthermore, like many other clubs, we have a downwashing concept at the highest level. The devil, however, is in the details. Some cars with exceptionally good features are not placing first on the podium every weekend.
AlphaTauri is constantly seeing what others are doing, and you have to realize that knowing everything that’s going on is crucial. “It’s not an issue; AlphaTauri team can all sit down and draw the downwashing notion. However, the details are what make the difference, and we’re making progress with a lot of little details on the automobile.” Egginton emphasized that having a car that performs well on a variety of tracks is the primary goal for all Formula One teams.
“There’s lots of carrots and things to look for,” he stated. “However, you must ensure that the vehicle is driveable and has a decent operational envelope. “As the restrictions develop, it becomes increasingly crucial to avoid falling into the trap of being overly drawn to one technique and losing out on a certain handling trait. In order for the drivers to utilize the aero performance for a variety of circuit types, we need a large operating envelope.
“If you want to win a championship or be very strong, you’ve got to be consistent, and one thing we learned from 2019, ’20 to ’21, was the importance of that.” Egginton stated, “The McLaren is the obvious one that really shows you what you can do once you’ve got your head around the detail.” This was in reference to the company’s 2023 performance leap.
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