Introduced a few races back and used again in Brazil is this evolution of McLaren's brake cooling drums. Previously the drums were open, with the brake disc not included within the carbon fibre cover, leaving the edge of the disc and its outer face open to the inducted airflow. Now the drum assembly...
For the final race of the season in Brazil, McLaren have introduced a completely new rear wing. The flap has two outer extensions, which jut out to the main profile's entry edge (see inset and green arrow). Each triangular protrusion partially covers the main profile, thereby creating a channel for...
For Brazil, Williams have modified the FW30's front wing. Both the main profile and the middle flap now feature a curved 'step' at their extremities (see inset and yellow highlighted area), instead of the previous straight versions. This change helps to improve the airflow in this area, increasing...
As in Belgium, in China the cross-sectional area of the McLaren's sidepod inlets was reduced, decreasing cooling capacity but increasing aero efficiency. At Spa the low ambient temperatures made this change feasible. In Shanghai it was possible - albeit to a slightly lesser degree - thanks to the...
In Valencia McLaren increased the height of the sidepod winglets. In Singapore they have increased their length, bringing their leading edge forwards by around 12cm (area to right of dotted line). The main effect of this is to increase the efficiency and cooling capabilities of the MP4-23's very...
The low ambient temperatures at Spa allow the teams to reduce the venting required for cooling, hence improving the aero efficiency of the cars. McLaren have been able to dramatically reduce their radiator inlets by applying a specially profiled bodywork addition in the lower section of the inlet....
For Spa McLaren have added side slits to the endplates of the car's sidepod winglets (lower inset circle). Similar to a revision introduced by Renault last year, and already adopted on the MP4-23 in Monaco, they are designed to reduce any extra turbulence generated by the larger Monaco-spec winglets...
Like Ferrari, McLaren increased the vertical surface area of the MP4-23's sidepod winglets (see red arrow) in Valencia to maximise their ability to divert airflow. The winglets featured a completely vertical front edge as well as an increased height. This change increases the quantity of air...
In addition to the new nosecone winglets that McLaren debuted in Hungary, the team also introduced this change to the rearmost flap of the front wing. It may be more subtle than the winglets, but is actually more important in terms of airflow management. In truth, the two revisions work in tandem....
These horn-like winglets halfway up the MP4-23's nosecone have been introduced by McLaren in Hungary. It's a solution not dissimilar to the 'delta' winglets on the BMW Sauber and one that provides a better quality of airflow to the car's sidepod inlets and rear end. It does this by improving the...
Several interesting changes were introduced to the front wing of the McLaren for the Silverstone race. The wing's main profile has now been split (see inset), with a wider element at the back and a narrower one towards the front (see inset's arrows). The car's nose pillars are no longer attached to...
McLaren have introduced a deeply revised front wing in France. Underneath the main profile, two close vertical fences (1) have been added near the outer edge to divert airflow outwards, hence cleaning up the airflow beneath the profile's central section. In addition, the endplates (2) have been...
Montreal requires medium to low downforce levels and to achieve this teams reduced both the main profile of their wings and the angle of the wing flaps. McLaren adopted an interesting rear wing that featured a main profile raised in its central section, with its extremities bending slightly...
Prior to the Canadian race, the FIA reinforced the rules related to flexible wings, in particular the front bridge wings, which are now a feature on most cars. The teams were told to provide additional support to the central section of the wing, by connecting it to the nosecone, and to reinforce the...
Compared to last year's McLaren, the MP4-23 boasts a longer wheelbase and a slightly revised layout and weight distribution. Changes to its aerodynamics, however, have been much less radical and more of a refinement of those found on its predecessor. For Monaco the British team have added side slits...
On all the cars the front end plays a crucial role in terms of aero efficiency and even the tiniest detail can make a big difference. One example in Turkey is the small barge boards on the McLaren, placed just under the front suspension's lower wishbone, which feature a horizontal arched section...
Following Heikki Kovalainen's dramatic accident in Spain - caused by a wheel manufacturing fault leading to continuous contact between the inner side of the rim and the carbonfibre brake drum - in Turkey, McLaren have been using a special device to monitor the drum's dimensions. The device (silver)...
McLaren suspect Kovalainen's huge accident in the Spanish Grand Prix was the result of a failure of the forged magnesium wheel rim. The exact cause of that failure is as yet unknown - a stone or some other debris getting into the wheel is the primary suspect, while other possibilities include an...
A small, but interesting change in Melbourne relates to the outer extremities of the bridge wing. They now feature a wider chord section than before, as well as long slits (arrow) to help generate the kind of suction effect normally associated with a more conventional flap-main profile assembly. The...
McLaren's MP4-23 features an interesting rear wing, which has been deeply revised both in terms of its main profile and its endplates. These endplates still sport the now atypical horizontal slits, which reduce the turbulence generated by the impact of the airflow where they attach to the main...
Major changes have been introduced to this area to improve the quality of the air directed to the car's rear wing. The engine air intake has been placed further behind the headrest and a sort of long splitter (yellow arrow), which continues towards the very slim engine cover, has been added to...
Compared to the MP4-22, the rear of the car has been visibly lowered, with the exhaust pipes now placed further to the side. There are new movable covers (1), which could be replaced with cooling slits as the season progresses. The winglet behind the venting chimney (2) has also been refined. Rather...
The changes made to the car's front suspension are particularly interesting. As on the Ferrari F2008, the front of the chassis now higher than that of its predecessor, hence the quantity of airflow passing underneath the car has been dramatically increased. As a result, the team have angled the...
