Tech F1i – Monza insight into Ferrari's SF70H

Mercedes W08 Renault RS17 Williams FW40 Rear Wing Monza

ADAPTATION RATHER THAN REVOLUTION

The second design philosophy sticks to a curved plane, though it is less tilted, with Mercedes, Renault, Williams, and Toro Rosso going for this option. Monza-spec rear wings are expensive one-off endeavours, bearing in mind that the case housing the DRS mechanism has to be re-designed while the front wing must be changed as well in order to keep the aero balance of the car.

F1 teams often bring several versions of their rear wings to Monza and use Friday’s free practice to sample them. One of the deciding factors is the impact each design has on tyre wear. Toro Rosso, for instance, trialed a rear wing with a flat board but eventually elected instead to race one with a curved, spoon-shaped plane.