Tuesday 7 March 2017

Swept Wing Gets Swept Aside



An interesting development today was Red Bull's innovative approach to the new swept front wing regulations. In a move to apparently make the front wing less sensitive to dirty air and improve overtaking, the FIA require the edges of the front wing offset back from the leading edge, so creating a sweep of 12.5 degrees. Red Bull have gone to the extreme with this new intricate front wing design featuring straight edges adjoined delicately by the central neutral section. We don't know if this design is fully legal, but it looks to have achieve walking around the regulations in the quest for a straighter flow of air. The front of the RB13 is already interesting with its 'mouth', which improves airflow and the efficiency of the floor.

EDIT - It has since been speculated that this wing was designed for pit stop purposes. We didn't see it featuring at all in the following season.

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