Tech F1i: Melbourne's back to school mods and new concepts

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RENAULT DEPLOYS ITS WINGS

In the race, the Renault team mounted on Carlos Sainz’s car the mini T-wing it had evaluated the day before during free practice. Sauber also tested a mini two-tier T-wing biplane on Saturday.

In principle, the T-wing is prohibited this season by article 3.5.1 of the technical regulations, whose imprecise formulation nevertheless leaves the door open to a small winglet. The article defines a triangular area above the engine cover in which no bodywork element can be added. But it does not mention the space below this area, which is exploited by the teams to install a slim wing. In theory, this wing is used to better direct the airflow towards the lower plane of the rear wing and, consequently, to optimize the operation of the diffuser.