Most teams have stopped development work on their 2008 cars but Renault are an exception to the rule, bringing a heavily revised R28 to Fuji. The car's sidepods have been dramatically reduced in their cross section at the front, with the radiator inlets featuring a more tapered side profile (see red...
Even with the end of the season in sight, Renault have continued to develop the R28, and in Singapore the car boasted a revised front wing. The biggest change to the wing was to the flap, which sported a squared spoon profile (see central red arrow and inset), instead of the more rounded version...
This change forms part of Renault's revised aero package for Barcelona. The upper profile now sports a semicircular central section (circled), which has increased the gap between it and the top of the R28's nose. This helps to reduce any blockage of airflow in this area and also means the depth of...
Renault have also included a heavily revised engine cover as part of their pre-Spanish Grand Prix aero updates. This full-height shark fin profile (circled) is almost identical to the one introduced by Red Bull before the season's opening race. This revision has been made to improve the car's...
Not strictly new, but very relevant in the heat of Malaysia, is the semicircular cooling vent placed over the R28's rear damper housing at the end of the very narrow engine cover. In 2008 the trend towards ever narrower engine covers has continued, in order to reduce the cover's negative influence...
It is interesting to note how quickly BMW Sauber's barge board solution for the F1.08 was adopted by Renault on their R28 (circled and red arrow). This area is crucial, as it manages the flow of cooling air to the car's radiators and can also be used to divert air towards the rear wing to create an...
When compared with last year's car, the R28's new sidepods have been transformed. The vertical fins (larger red arrow) no longer support the rear-view mirrors, making for a cleaner design and better airflow management towards the rear of the car. In addition the bottom edge of the sidepod's air...
In comparison to its predecessor, the new Renault's nosecone has been dramatically lowered and now features an additional bridge profile (top arrow). While the front of the chassis has been minimised, the surface area of the wing's main profile has been increased. In addition the pillars (bottom...
