Renault R25 - barge boards, dolphin nose

In China, with the season over, we can look at one supposedly controversial element on the R25, namely its 'dolphin nose' device, placed at the front base of the cockpit ahead of the splitter. As well as lengthening the splitter this acts as ballast – fixed to the car by screws as required by the...

McLaren MP4-20 - brake ducts

For China, a slightly revised front brake duct configuration. Their ovoid shape, pointed towards the bottom, aids efficient cooling while also reducing the turbulence caused by airflow close to the wheel's inner edge. The small horizontal section at the base of the duct (red arrow) acts like a...

Renault R25 - rear bodywork

In China we take a closer look at changes first seen in Brazil. The rear bodywork is moulded even more closely around the mechanical parts inside (magnified section), allowing the rear wing to function even more efficiently. The exhaust area is now very narrow (red arrow), giving more room for air...

Ferrari F2005 - cooling chimneys

Not a major change for China, but an interesting one nonetheless. In practice and qualifying here Ferrari adopted open chimneys. These aid engine reliability by improving cooling, but do slightly disrupt the airflow directed to the rear wing. In Shanghai, however, the negative effect of this...

BAR 007 - revised rear wing

A minor change for Japan and China. Multiple slits return to the endplates (right arrow) while the main profile is modified. Its V-shape - introduced mid season and more efficient than its flat equivalent - is now more pronounced at the outer edges (left arrow), aiding further in raising downforce...

BAR 007 - vertical rear fins

Few changes on the cars for the final race, so let's take a closer look at existing features - for example, the vertical fins which act as pillars for the flip-ups in front of the rear wheels. These divert airflow inside the wheel (blue arrow), cutting turbulence and aiding air extraction from...

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