The Mercedes and Haas F1 teams have prepared the most important technical updates to their cars for the American Grand Prix. In the first case, we are talking about the modernized bottom end of the W14, and according to Lewis Hamilton, this will be the last noticeable innovation to be introduced in 2023.
“Hopefully this will help us move in the right direction and reach the level we want to be at next year,” said the seven-time world champion.
In particular, the new underbody of the Mercedes car has a slightly raised leading edge, which allows optimal distribution of the aerodynamic load, improving the quality of the airflow, which is directed towards the rear of the car and thus contributes of more downward force.
Haas has revised several parts of the VF-23: the underbody, sidepods and motor housing. As the American team explained, the underbody configuration has been optimized so that the aerodynamic body kit is less sensitive to changes in the car’s condition and should also be less sensitive to wind.
By changing the edges of the bottom it was possible to achieve a more efficient flow under the car and generally increase aerodynamic efficiency.
The shape of the air intakes on the side of the pontoon has been changed to ensure that these aerodynamic elements work together with the redesigned underbody. The new shape of the pontoons made it possible to improve the quality of the air flow flowing around them, while at the same time not having to change the layout of the cooling system.
The engine housing has also been modified, including optimization of the channels through which air escapes from the cooling systems.
In addition, the front brake air ducts on the VF-23 have been improved and their geometry has been slightly changed – this is done to reduce the turbulence generated behind the air ducts.
But Mercedes and Haas aren’t the only teams that have prepared certain new products for the podium in Austin. The Aston Martin car received a new diffuser, the front of the underbody was redesigned, the engine housing and an additional rear wing were improved.
An updated underbody also appeared on the AlphaTauri car: on the AT04, the configuration of the underbody and edges has changed slightly. The shape of the motor housing has also been changed, which contributes to more efficient cooling.
Finally, the underbody of Alfa Romeo’s car has also been improved, but in the case of the Swiss team, the changes concerned the rear. In theory, this should increase downforce in this part of the car, and the modernized underbody is designed to work harmoniously with the series of updates presented on the podium in Singapore.
The Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Alpine, McLaren and Williams teams made no mention of new products.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
