Ahead of round two of the season in Australia, the FIA is expected to issue a clarification of the rules relating to rear diffusers. The regulations permit a hole in the diffuser to allow access for the engine starter motor. However, there are concerns that teams could be exploiting this 'loophole'...
The sight of an errant wheel from Fernando Alonso's Renault bouncing across the track at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, prompted the FIA to impose new rules this season to ensure wheel nuts remain fastened. Ferrari's solution has been to create an entirely new wheel hub, which features a catch...
For the 2010 season the FIA have outlawed the carbon fibre wheel fairings that became so popular in 2009. In a move that may be seen as going against the spirit of the regulations (but which has been approved by the FIA), Ferrari have instead incorporated an integral aero device (inset - yellow...
A new solution on the Mercedes is this pyramid-shaped roll structure, which acts as an aero splitter within the airbox, separating and accelerating the incoming airflow (double blue arrow). Usually the roll structure simply follows the shape of the airbox, but Mercedes' design means the shape of the...
Like Ferrari, Red Bull wanted more space for their double diffuser. Chief technical officer Adrian Newey's simple solution was to elevate the position of the gearbox (see yellow highlighted area). The RB6's rear suspension is now slightly higher off the ground than before. An additional benefit of...
The rear of the new MP4-25 features various aerodynamic solutions that have been devised through wind-tunnel testing and on-track work. At first glance it's the car's long wheelbase, with its long and narrow gearbox, that catches the eye, but it's actually the airflow management at the back which is...
To create more room for a larger double diffuser, the F10 has its engine is mounted at a 3.5 degree angle (1). As a result, the exhaust pipe vents are located nearer the front of the car (2) than before, creating more space for a large chamber on the central diffuser. Interestingly there is a...
To ensure the exhaust pipe vents as far away from the rear wing as possible, Ferrari have reverted to a solution they used five seasons ago on the F2005. In contrast to the design of last year's car (see main picture, black arrow), the pipes have been mounted so they'll vent nearer the front of the...
McLaren's new MP4-25 features a totally new front wing, although the endplates are derived from ones that the team often tested but never raced with during the 2009 season. Of particular interest is the nosecone splitter (see black arrow), which is similar to one used by Williams last year and is...
Like all the 2010 cars, the new Ferrari features a multitude of modifications. On the F10 (top half of drawing) the most dramatic difference is the longer wheelbase, which ensures the car can now fit a larger fuel tank and a longer and narrower gearbox. The car's rear axle is now some 20-22 cm...
As a result of the ban on refuelling, 2010 cars will almost certainly have longer wheelbases as designers are forced to accommodate fuel tanks close to double the size of their predecessors'. One of the biggest engineering challenges will be to minimise this increase in wheelbase - and to minimise...
The changes for 2010 are perhaps most striking from overhead. As a result of the ban on refuelling, the fuel tank (4) will be longer and wider. The wheelbase is likely to be about 15 cm longer than in '09 to accommodate this larger tank (6), though teams could opt to move the driver forward slightly...
Although the refuelling ban for 2010 is a change to the sporting regulations, it has technical implications too. The fuel tank's capacity (2) has almost doubled from around 120 litres to at least 235 litres, while the car's minimum weight has been increased from 605kg to 620kg. To accommodate the...
From the front, the 2010 cars will look distinctly different to their '09 predecessors due to the narrower front tyres (1) and the wider rear bodywork needed to accommodate the larger fuel tank (2) required following the ban on refuelling. The slimmer front tyres - which address the imbalance of...
