Tech F1i: A closer look at the Sauber C36

F1-2017-sauber-C36_5

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Compared to Williams’ simplified rendering of its FW40, Sauber’s actual images offer a better glimpse into how complex the sidepod area of the car is.

Painted in metallic blue, the oversized bargeboards are easy to spot. In cleaning up the airflow going underneath the car, these aero devices should help generate more downforce.

The leading edge of the bargeboard sits higher that the remainder of the part, while the element shows a curved profile (see red outline on the bottom picture). The rear end of the bargeboard is attached to a protrusion of the floor.

The sidepod vanes stretch to mirror the maximum authorised floor width in their upper part, while they become undercut as they sloped downwards. In the same area, one can notice a second deflector (yellow arrows), whose design draws some inspiration from a Mercedes concept seen last year.

Finally, the Sauber rearview mirror mounting props bear some similarities with a 2016 McLaren design.

While the Monisha Kaltenborn-led team managed to secure its F1 future last year following fresh investment from Longbow Finance, the C36 was still designed and built under limited financial resources and without any technical director at the helm.

It will be interesting therefore to keep track of Sauber’s chassis development rate under a fresh set of regulations, which will serve as a good yardstick to measure the outfit’s return to form. However, any aero evolution will be hard-pressed to offset the power gap stemming from running year-old power units.

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