McLAREN RUSHING FLAT-OUT TOWARDS 2017
McLaren’s prototype front wing spotted at the Circuit of the Americas also featured an additional aero fence, again as part of F1 teams' preparations for 2017 (compare red arrows on the top picture). But the extra under-wing element was not the most striking novelty on the MP4-31 in Texas. Indeed, the curved profile on the outer board is now flat (compare red outlines in the middle two images), while it was believed the area could not be tweaked.
Devised by Mercedes in 2014, the arches form a sort of reversed funnel on the outer wing, which generates a vortex aimed at fending off the front wheel’s dirty wake. F1 technical expert Craig Scarborough has suggested that the potential introduction of bigger and more sophisticated bargeboards have rendered these arched sections less crucial when it comes to keeping the turbulent air at bay. Incidentally, it is therefore perhaps not surprising to see the Mercedes W07 sport smaller bargeboards, given the pronounced profile of its front wing arches.
McLaren chief engineer Peter Prodromou and his team are keen to collect sufficient data before fully committing to an aero philosophy that would break away from the Mercedes school of thought. As much as the arches are efficient, they also create drag, something aerodynamicists are always keen to limit, even more so with the introduction of wider tyres next year. Finally, it is worth noticing that despite the flatter outline, the McLaren prototype front wing still features upper flaps that bend downwards and towards the lower endplate.
