Components 1’s 2026 technical rules are pushing groups to maximise aerodynamic effectivity, favoring progressive options.
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Audi has labored on this entrance and adjusted its philosophy from the Barcelona shakedown: its rear wing flap now goes down like Alpine’s.
The hybrid-imposed power administration limitations have made aerodynamic effectivity a key space, with the brand new guidelines granting engineers better freedom in design, significantly relating to lively aerodynamics, which is used on just about each straight. This contributes to lowering drag on the straights, and consequently power consumption.
A number of rear wing configurations have been noticed in pre-season testing. Ferrari’s 180-degree rotating wing is a main instance, as a brand new idea that pushes the boundaries of creativeness. It’s the most excessive interpretation of the principles to this point, however different attention-grabbing options embody Alpine’s, with the wing rotating on the forefront, and Audi’s, which initially opened obliquely.
Audi R26 rear wing
Photograph by: Audi
Alpine was the primary staff to take a very new conceptual path in comparison with what DRS was allowed to be, pushing different squads to fastidiously consider its advantages and limitations.
Audi adopted this answer throughout the second week of the Sakhir take a look at, tweaking the actuator that controls the cell wing.
In Audi’s unique idea, the system raised the primary component, whereas the second remained passive and adopted the primary flap’s motion. Now, equally to Alpine, the opening happens in the other way: the actuator acts on the second component, pushing it downward, whereas the primary stays passive.
This was made attainable by the wing rotation pivot being positioned on the primary flap, not the second – even on the preliminary idea. Thus, the way in which the wing opens might be tweaked.
Audi R26 rear wing comparability
Photograph by: Audi
This answer affords some aerodynamic benefits, notably within the transition part, guaranteeing better stability in early braking, but it surely additionally introduces important challenges that groups should fastidiously handle.
Whereas the DRS opened at comparatively low velocity and returned to its preliminary place below the stress of air, Alpine’s and Audi’s rear wing experiences the alternative state of affairs. The actuator should exert considerably better effort to beat drag and transfer the flap.
Alpine’s answer is kind of complicated, with a number of attachment factors, whereas Audi’s seems less complicated, based mostly on a single attachment to the higher flap. An attention-grabbing alternative, which as soon as once more reveals how the 2026 guidelines are stimulating engineers’ creativity.
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