The best tech images so far from Formula 1 2023

But while we may have to wait a few more days to see some of those new parts in the flesh, the break does at least give us an opportunity to reflect on some of the interesting developments spotted so far this season.

Here is a selection of the best technical images from the first five races of the year, courtesy of Giorgio Piola and Sutton Images.

Alfa Romeo C43 technical detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Bahrain: Alfa Romeo applied a solution in Bahrain that was pioneered by Mercedes in 2022, with the Swiss-based outfit looking to refine the flow structures at the front of the car and improve performance downstream.

Mercedes had introduced its wide-body chassis blister solution as part of a larger package of updates at last year's British Grand Prix. That suite of parts helped to soothe some of the ill effects posed by porpoising that it suffered in the opening half of the season but also helped the team to unlock some of the latent potential in the W13.

Alpine A523 diffuser

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Bahrain: An interesting feature on the Alpine A523 is the sculpting of the lower section of the rear wing endplate. The regulations in this region of the endplate looked to prohibit the various types of aerodynamic furniture that adorned this section. While not as potent a solution as the upwash strakes that teams used to place here, the swage line that Alpine has incorporated into the endplate is a nice feature that provides an uptick in performance compared with a regularly contoured alternative.

Mercedes W14 rear detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Saudi Arabia: Mercedes used this specification of wing in Bahrain but made some alterations to better suit the demands of the Jeddah street track, with the upper rear corner of the endplate relieved of its cutout and an infill panel used instead.

This is made possible due to the design of the endplate, which allows for the use of an interchangeable panel. You'll also note how the tip section of the endplate has been trimmed down, rather than having a flat edge, in order to alter the wing's behaviour.

Aston Martin AMR23 detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Saudi Arabia: Rather than introduce an entirely new, circuit-specific rear wing, Aston Martin also made a modification to its rear wing for Saudi Arabia, with the central section of the upper flap's trailing edge trimmed in order to reduce downforce and drag.

Red Bull Racing RB19 detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Saudi Arabia: Here we can see the Red Bull RB19's rear end which is yet to be attached to the chassis. We're afforded a good view of some of the inboard suspension elements, and the rear wing support pillar's cage, which is mounted to the crash structure. We can also see the passage that the exhaust takes beneath the suspension elements, which are lined with a gold reflective coating.

Alfa Romeo Racing C43 rear detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Saudi Arabia: Alfa Romeo's DRS pod was modified when compared with the Bahrain spec version, as a smaller conduit for the mechanism sat on the top rear portion of the main pod. Meanwhile, the flap pivots were changed for the more conventional barrel-type solution, rather than the teardrop-shaped ones we've seen it use before on different configurations.

AlphaTauri AT04 detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Saudi Arabia: A look at the radiator and cooler layout on the AlphaTauri AT04, with the team employing a large saddle cooler, as has been the case for many years now. This allows it to optimise the internal layout of the sidepods.

A mechanic works on the car of Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

Australia: As the Red Bull RB19 is prepared for action, we are treated to a view of the front brake assembly at different stages of the build, with the brake caliper fairing installed on the left-hand side of the car. In contrast, it is naked on the right. You'll note that the fairing doesn't have the central window closed at this stage either, which is an option should the team want to alter the way heat moves between the various nests of the brake drum.

The small cooling tube fins can also be seen on the exposed caliper, along with the larger central vents that the team has employed for 2023 to allow heat rejected by the brake disc passage through the caliper.

Williams FW45 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Australia: The Williams FW45's front brake assembly, now with the fairings in place that wrap around the caliper and disc, is very similar to the design used by Red Bull in 2022.

Ferrari SF-23 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Australia: Ferrari's caliper is fed cool air by two channels, on either side of the fairing, whiles ports in the central section of the caliper and fairing allow heat rejected by the drill holes in the disc a passage to move through the assembly. Ferrari also has a disc fairing this year, albeit not shown in this image, although that does give us a glimpse of its X-shaped drill pattern in the disc.

Mercedes W14 rear detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Australia: A look beneath the covers of the Mercedes W14 gives us a glimpse of the power unit and its packaging. Note how the main exhaust pipe is routed over the top of the rear suspension leg and the mounting position of the main rear floor stay, which intersects the bodywork when it is present.

Alfa Romeo C43 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Australia: The complex interaction of the front wing flaps and endplate on the Alfa Romeo C43, with the two rearmost elements turned outward and a chunk of the lower section of the endplate removed entirely to encourage more outwash.

McLaren MCL60 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Australia: The McLaren MCL60's flaps are also turned outward to encourage outwash. However, without the cutaway section in the lower rear section of the endplate it will likely be de-powered in comparison to some of its rivals.

Mercedes F1 W14 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Australia: Mercedes' solution to this region, which also attempts to recoup some of the outwash effect that the regulations were designed to reduce, includes a cutout in the lower rear section of the endplate, detached flaps and two fins.

Ferrari SF-23 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Australia: A look beneath the SF-23's front wing and nose shows how much these regulations have reduced the complexity of the surfaces compared with the previous generation. Also, note how the outboard flap adjuster has a strake-like appearance to it on the underside.

Alfa Romeo pit garage detail

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Azerbaijan: A nice look under the skin of the Alfa Romeo C43 as the mechanics prepare it for action, with the radiators and coolers layered on top of one another within the sidepod. Also, note its lower downforce rear wing with a shallow spoon-shaped mainplane profile and the diagonally sawn off wing tip section.

Haas F1 Team VF-23 rear wing

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Azerbaijan: Haas trimmed a significant section of the upper flap of its rear wing back for Baku in an effort to reduce some drag and increase top speed.

Red Bull Racing RB19 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Azerbaijan: The metal bridge support for the rear wing's central pillar on the Red Bull RB19 also acts as a higher position with which to mount the upper wishbone.

Alpine A523 front wing detail with sensors

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Azerbaijan: Alpine had a lower downforce option for its front wing in Baku, with a large cutout made in the mid-section of the upper flap.

AlphaTauri AT04 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Azerbaijan: AlphaTauri's lower downforce rear wing is a spoon-shaped affair with an upper flap that gradually falls away on its trailing edge as it meets with the tip section.

McLaren MCL60 detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Azerbaijan: McLaren's floor features an inboard strake that sits above the tide line of the leading edge, whilst a bulged section under the sidepod undercut helps to better manage the airflow both above and below the surface. You will note that the edges of the floor and the strakes on the edge wing have all been tipped to help reduce flex.

McLaren MCL60 detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Azerbaijan: A close-up of the edge wing on the MCL60's floor, with the three vanes tipped to help protect them as the floor compresses towards the ground, whilst preventing them from overtly flexing.

Ferrari SF-23 rear detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Azerbaijan: Ferrari's twin-element beam wing arrangement has a shorter chord element at the top which traverses the wing's entire span, whereas most teams usually fix the upper elements to the top of the crash structure.

Mercedes W14 detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Azerbaijan: The edge of the floor on the Mercedes W14 is home to a number of smaller strakes that will work in combination with the tips of the underfloor fences as they snake their way to that portion of the floor. Also, note how much the edge wing is rolled upwards in contrast with the height of the forward section of floor.

Alpine A523 bodywork detail

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz / Motorsport Images

Miami: Looking down the side of the A523 we can also see the trench that's been excavated within the sidepod's upper surface, whilst the team has opted for more cooling in Miami with its interchangeable engine cover panel tasked with providing it.

Mercedes W14 diffuser

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Miami: Rear end detail on the Mercedes W14, including the three-tier lower brake duct deflector that was introduced in Azerbaijan.

Aston Martin AMR23 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Miami: Aston Martin's front brake duct design includes a crossover tract, complete with a guide vane set within it to help control the flow of air across the face of the assembly.

Aston Martin AMR23 technical detail

Photo by: Uncredited

Miami: A close-up of the AMR23's inboard front suspension elements, including the heave damper, complete with Belleville spring washers.

Red Bull Racing RB19 diffuser

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Miami: A look at the rear end of the Red Bull RB19, with the team opting for just a single beam wing element, which has been a familiar sight this season, as it looks to trim the downforce and drag levels for each circuit.