Chinese GP tech attack
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The winglet introduced in Belgium was used again in Shanghai. The diagram shows the airflow interaction between the chimney (1), the winglet (2) and the vertical of the endplate (3).
Williams cut down the height of the FW26 chimneys for the Chinese Grand Prix.
There was a new BAR endplate in China, based on the one that was tried but discarded at Silverstone. It featured a new section (1) with a wider lower piece. The miniature venturi on the outer edge (2) was retained and there was a new triangular fin at the back of the endplate for increased downforce. This latter feature was not on the original discarded endplate.
A vertical fin was used to separate airflow around the silly plate.
The vee-shaped radiator on the Sauber that enabled the team to utilise the new lower bodywork at Silverstone reappeared. The low bodywork hadn't been used at Monza but it suited the higher-downforce Shanghai track.
Illustrations by Giorgio Piola
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