Tech insight - Ferrari’s Azerbaijan aero

Ferrari brought both front and rear wing updates to the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe. Sadly they weren’t enough to beat Mercedes, but they did at least help keep the Italian team on the podium, courtesy of Sebastian Vettel’s second place…

In Baku Ferrari introduced a front wing based on the one they debuted back in Russia and used at the last round in Canada (inset). The key difference was that instead of three small chord flaps it featured just two - different in shape and not using the full space allowed by the regulations, meaning lower downforce but less drag.

To balance the new front wing, Ferrari also used a low-downforce rear wing on the SF16-H. The new main plane and flap featured a lower angle of incidence to help boost straight-line speed, while the number of gills on the endplates was reduced.