Airbox Winglets

[gttouring]

This year ferrari started with the airbox winglets, and the world (here) wondered what it was for. did it help an aero design flaw of the car, was it extra downforce..
i don't know anyone have ideas?
Perhaps the winglets help clean up air flow from the camera mounts and make it move better, what ever the case is
Honda BAR now uses them (and they're HUGE so wide)
Renault has these new protrusions as well as does Williams.
so is this everyone copying looking for the help, or does this littel wing actually do something and they all figured it out.
but the New improved Maclaren which Coulthard placed a magnificent 3rd in quali, doesn't use them....

[Gt_R]

Yeah..i was never a real fan of aero-winglet add-ons, because i felt it's kinda like "fixing a design prob"...and when i first saw the F2004 with that airbox winglet, i thought that way too. But i'm wrong

But Ferrari's winglet isn't a mere add-on, but an integrated design and crafted winglet. It doesn't have any angle to it, so by itself, it doesn't produce any extra downforce to the car. Most technical pages from F1racing mags and websites describe it as one which cleans up and smooths out the airflow and directs it better to the rear wing to increase the rear wing efficiency - and while air-box winglets have been seen on cars before, the way Ferrari uses it and construct it is unique in its own ways.

The fact that many teams started copying and integrating it suggests that it is actually useful and positive results are achieved. Ferrari debuted the winglet much longer (horizontally) at the start of the season, but after a few races, updated it to feature a shorter length. Probably, the extra length doesn't provide additional benefits.

However, i don't think it's a very very significant part on it's own, but merely teams striving to squeeze every bit of aero efficiency out of their cars.

[Adam43]

As with all these winglets (ban them now!) they are subtlties to cars design so they are very specific to each design. Although there is less to effect all the way up there, so I'd expect a lot of similarities between cars.

The end result will be the same: A more desirable drag:downforce ratio. This may be circuit specific - BaR introduced its middle wing in Imola, but Giorgio Piola (Autosport) notes that they had a middle wing for two years in a row.

Maybe Ferrari using it has allowed a new aspect to this design to become apparent (and because of its visibility easily copied) or perhaps Ferrari using it has generated more confidence in the design.

Additionally we had some changes (for commercial reasons!) to the rear wing and, perhaps importantly, the overall airbox. Has this made the rear wing more effective or more important?

The specific reasons are probably either to generate downforce. Such winglets are small, but are bigger than most winglets so could generate a decent amount.

However there is the aspect Gt_R mentions. A lot of them are not an exreme wing shape (although there is some shape there). This leads to the suggestion that the wings are used to tidy up or provide more airflow to the rear wing. thus improving the drag:downforce with a secondary effect. With the changes in airbox and wing regs this year maybe this is the reason?

[Kicking-back]

I recall Ferrari saying at some point it was to clean up airflow to the rear wing.

I see Minardi are running the this weekend - I think for the first time.

[Knowlesy]

Just get rid of all these bloody winglets. As interesting as they are, they are a nuisance both aesthetically and probably to the racing!

[Knowlesy]

I remember when the Ferrari F2002 was first unveiled.....it didn't have a single winglet on the sidepods and it looked bloody fantastic!

[Kicking-back]

Indeed - they just make the car look untidy.

[Jordi]

It's spectacular to see them winglets move when they go over the kerbs, though.

[Adam43]

That is what they have drivers' heads for

[Knowlesy]

Originally posted by Jordi
It's spectacular to see them winglets move when they go over the kerbs, though.

I agree, because it inspires hope that they might move so much that they break off.

[Adam43]

Will these airbox winglets still be on the cars for Monza?

[Gt_R]

For Ferrari, i believe yes.