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31 Jul 2015
Red Bull resurgent at high downforce track

Red Bull have shifted their aerodynamic focus during 2015 with the team making an effort to marginalise their PU deficit through a reduction in downforce. Having not used the blown axle since the Canadian GP it made a return in Hungary, which is known as a chassis circuit, placing less emphasis on the Powerunit, allowing them to close the gap to their rivals as the team exploited the RB11's more generous downforce levels.

The blown axle (purple) shapes the airflow passing by the front wheel, changing the shape of it and the wake that the tyre produces, controlling this in the right way will also improve rear end performance, however, it does bring with it a marginal drag increase and is the reason that Red Bull have taken to only using it on high downforce circuits.

The team also revised the way in which their camera's are mounted to the nose of the car, returning to a stalk mounted solution akin to the one they ran in 2014 but taking influence from Mercedes and Ferrari who've circumnavigated the regulation amendments by using a 'minimum stay'. The cameras and the way they are mounted have for years been used to create aerodynamic structures, even though their surfaces are intended to be neutral. The regulations introduced in 2014 were designed to limit these effects but as ever the teams push back, interpreting the regulations in a way that suit their needs. As such, the use of the stays increase the height at which the camera pods can be mounted, helping to improve the performance of the components downstream.

They also used their Y100 winglet (Monkey Seat) around the Hungaroring, encompassing the exhaust outlet the winglet is used to improve the aerodynamic connection between the rear wing and diffuser. Furthermore, owing to the exhaust upwash it allows the team to run a higher angle of attack on the rear wing without fear of flow detachment at low speed, improving balance for the driver.

The switch to higher downforce components for Hungary put the two Red Bull drivers firmly in contention come race day, with them able to pick their way through the field, albeit helped out by the safety car and other teams underperforming. Nonetheless a good result for the team who'll be looking forward to Singapore as the next higher downforce circuit, whilst Renault continue to prepare for a powerunit token spend in the later part of the season.
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30 Jul 2015
23 Jul 2015
2015 Hungarian GP technical image gallery

A selection of the best technical images from Hungary courtesy of Sutton Images

Thursday
Force India VJM08 bulkhead and 'S' duct detail
Toro Rosso STR10 Nose detail
Toro Rosso STR10 front wing detail
Toro Rosso STR10 front wing detail
Ferrari SF15-T front wing detail

Ferrari SF15-T camera mount detail
McLaren MP4-30 new wing mirror stalks (yellow) and new L shaped fins placed behind (Mercedes-esque) (green)

Force India VJM08 front wing detail
Red Bull RB11 rear wing detail, note the hydraulic line running into the housing that activates the DRS
Williams FW37 front wing detail
Williams FW37 rear wing detail
Force India VJM08 old nose and front wing detail

Ferrari SF15-T front wing detail
Red Bull RB11 front brake housing detail (note it appears the team may be returning to the blow axle)
Mercedes W06 rear brake duct detail
Toro Rosso STR10 nose and front wing detail
Toro Rosso STR10 front wing detail
Sauber C34 nose and front wing detail
Ferrari SF15-T various front wing options
Williams FW37 front wing detail
Force India VJM08 nose comparison, newer specification (upper) shows the 'nostrils' exit point
Williams FW37 front wing detail from the underside
Mercedes W06 rear wing detail (note red centre pylon cover is just for during preparations)
Toro Rosso STR10 rear wing endplate detail
Toro Rosso STR10 rear end detail, note the rear wing support pylon that intersects with the exhaust (ie goes through it) whilst the Y150 winglet is the high downforce, four element one used last in Monaco)
Toro Rosso STR10 front wing detail
Toro Rosso STR10 rear end detail
Toro Rosso STR10 front wing detail
Toro Rosso STR10 serrated bargeboard and sidepod detail
Toro Rosso STR10 steering wheel detail
Toro Rosso STR10 front suspension and turning vane detail
Force India VJM08 new nose from behind shows where the 'nostrils' feed air to
Force India VJM08 new nose from behind shows where the 'nostrils' feed air to
Force India VJM08 nose comparison
Toro Rosso STR10 splitter detail, note the three winglets added to its upper surface several GP's ago
Mercedes W06 steering wheel, this is Lewis Hamilton's as note the upper paddle when compared to the image below
Red Bull RB11 front brake duct, note the team have returned to the blown front axle
Mercedes W06 engine cover blister, this blister is made in order to house the ERS cooler inside whilst the rest of the cover is reduced in size as much as possible
Mercedes W06 front wing detail
Ferrari SF15-T rear wing endplate and diffuser detail
Ferrari SF15-T front brake duct detail
Ferrari SF15-T rear end detail
Ferrari SF15-T Sidepod, airflow conditioner and cockpit fin detail
McLaren MP4-30 front wing detail, note how the 3rd flaps upper surface have been scalloped out to improve the performance of the strakes below

Mercedes W06 steering wheel, this is Nico Rosberg's wheel, note the upper right paddle differs to Lewis' configuration
McLaren MP4-30 front wing detail, note how the 3rd flaps upper surface have been scalloped out to improve the performance of the strakes below

Friday

Ferrari SF15-T with flo-viz applied to the rear wing to assess flow structures
Ferrari SF15-T with flo-viz applied to the rear wing to assess flow structures

McLaren MP4-30 with kiel probe array mounted on the sidepod to assess changes made to the wing mirror stalks and cockpit fin
Red Bull RB11 front wing detail (note this is the early season spec) also note how the flap bends inwards around the arc, shaping the airflow
McLaren MP4-30 another shot of the new wing mirror stalks and cockpit fin which emulates a vortex generator astride the sidepod
Williams FW37 rear end detail, note they have the largest cooling outlet available for the additional temperatures

Mercedes W06 - interesting 3D printed support bracket mounted on the flaps, I assume to place a load on in order to test flap deflection.
 Manor F1 MR03B with Go-Pro mounted ahead of the DRS actuator pod on the rear wing
Williams FW37 new front wing, only available to Valterri as he leads Massa in the Championship.  The wing follows a similar ethos to the Mercedes one with the outer section dealing with tyre wake
Ferrari SF15-T rear wing with flo-viz applied
McLaren MP4-30 with kiel probe array mounted on the sidepod to assess changes made to the wing mirror stalks and cockpit fin
McLaren MP4-30 rear end detail
McLaren MP4-30 rear end detail
McLaren MP4-30 front wing and nose detail
Lotus E23 front wing endplate detail
Mercedes W06 camera mount detail
Williams FW37 kiel probe array mounted behind the front wheel to measure the wheel wake changes made by the installation of their new front wing
Sauber C34 sidepod cooling louvre detail
Manor F1 sidepod cooling detail, also note vent on the sidepods leading edge
Williams FW37 cooling louvre detail
Red Bull RB11 turning vane detail
Ferrari SF15-T rear end detail with flo-viz applied
Red Bull RB11 read end detail
Force India VJM08 rear end detail with flo-viz applied
Force India VJM08 rear end detail with flo-viz applied
Lotus E23 rear end detail
Red Bull RB11 gullwing mounted on the ride height sensor and between the turning vanes
Red Bull RB11 new nose camera mount stalks, emulating the Mercedes and Ferrari style position
Williams FW37 new front wing detail
Red Bull RB11 chassis detail
Sauber C34 rear end detail
Red Bull RB11 front suspension detail whilst the new camera mount stalks can be seen protruding from the nose ahead of it.


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