The key details to look out for when F1 launch season begins

But while some of the design elements spotted in that period will be smoke and mirrors, and sometimes even just flat-out something not being run in 2024, we should get a pretty good idea of the main concepts that will be raced.

Some of the trends that have emerged over the last two seasons could play a critical part in the technical battle that will develop over the forthcoming season and with the FIA being deliberately restrictive in closing down on areas where teams are free to make their own choices, interesting avenues have opened up to be exploited for extra performance.

Creating front wing outwash

Regulations regarding front wing designs were tightened considerably heading into 2022, to reduce teams’ ability to create outwash, but as expected it didn’t take competitors long to find pockets within which to operate and leverage performance that would otherwise have been left on the table.

Mercedes had one of the more aggressive design solutions in this respect, carving out the lower rear section of the endplate and flap juncture, which required it to utilise a semi-detached flap configuration.

For 2023, the German manufacturer paired this with a cluster of cascade winglets on the inner face of the endplate. This was a feature also adopted by Red Bull, Haas and latterly Ferrari, as they too looked to influence the airflow’s behaviour in this region.

The shape of the endplate, along with its camber, has also been an area where designers have made changes during this ruleset, whilst the outer canard is also tweaked accordingly.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Mercedes W14 front wing detail

Pushing on with downwash

One area of the car that saw the most variety under these new regulations when the cars first appeared was the design of the sidepods, as each team arrived with their own design concept.

However, teams soon converged on the downwash ramp-style solution, with several teams, including Aston Martin (pictured) pursuing a central gulley too.

Ferrari and Mercedes tried to stick it out for 2023, retaining their bathtub-style and zeropod solutions respectively initially, but both made the switch during the course of the season.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Aston Martin AMR23 sidepods view

Evidently, the downwash ramp-style sidepod isn’t solely about the bodywork being sloped toward the rear portion of the car, because there are many other design factors to consider. Sidepod width is probably tops that list, as teams have all started to move in a design direction that results in a high, wide-shoulder position.

In Red Bull’s case, a team that had the downwash ramp-style solution from the off, it opted to refine the internal cooling characteristics of its car, leading it to favour a design with a much shallower inlet.

Multiple updates were added during 2023, as it looked to maximise the RB19’s performance in this respect, whilst others also took notice and began incorporating similar features.