Australian GP: Tech images from the F1 pitlane explained

Mercedes W15 detail

A look under the covers at the Mercedes W15’s power unit installation, along with the ancillary components such as the radiators within the sidepods and the cooler mounted above and behind the engine.

Williams FW46 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

As the Williams FW46 is prepared for action, we’re able to see the internal makeup of the front brake assembly. A disc fairing is used to control how heat is exchanged between the brakes and the wheel rim, which in-turn influences the tyre’s bulk temperature.

Also note the use of horizontal fins across the width of the brake caliper, while tube-like fins are employed in the upper section to help manage heat, as weight has been removed from the main body.

RB F1 Team VCARB 01 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A look under the covers of the VCARB01’s power unit and ancillaries installation, with a large saddle cooler employed on the car’s centreline.

Red Bull Racing RB20 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

A wide angle shot of the RB20 as it is prepared gives us a view of the bib and damper arrangement.

We are also able to see how the team is employing a window in its front brake disc fairing this year, in order to allow some of the heat being generated a corridor to the rest of the internal volume under the drum cover.

RB F1 Team VCARB 01 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The VCARB01’s floor is left unattached beneath the chassis during construction which affords us a view of the floor fences and the floor’s leading edge.

Mercedes W15 detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Another look under the W15’s covers, this time more rearward, which gives us a view of some of the inboard rear suspension elements, whilst the wedge-shaped floor mount that’s connected to a metal stay is also notable.

Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber C44 technical detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Sauber has a new front wing at its disposal this weekend, and here’s a great look at the assembly from above.

Haas VF-24 technical detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The front wing endplate diveplane on the Haas VF-24 has a double kick, rather than having the simpler geometry we’re used to seeing. Meanwhile, Haas also has a similar lower endplate rear quarter cutout and semi-detached flap arrangement to the one used by Mercedes throughout this ruleset.

A top-down overview of the Aston Martin AMR24’s front wing which has revised upper flaps for the Australian Grand Prix, as the team looks to better balance its qualifying and race pace.

A close up of the RB20’s front suspension and chassis layout, with the floor and chassis intersection blister a notable feature, whilst the overbite sidepod panel is also clear in this side view.

Red Bull Racing RB20 technical detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

At the rear of the car, we can see the cooling arrangement that the team fancies for this venue, whilst also taking in the rear suspension detail and the rear wing downforce level being employed.

The Mercedes W15 is once again set up with the upper rear leg of the wishbone in the higher position, given it can lower the member. This image also gives us a nice view of the P-shaped sidepod inlet and the undercut bodywork thereafter.

The W15 is also set up with the higher downforce rear wing used in Bahrain and trialled in FP3 at Saudi Arabia by Lewis Hamilton. However, there’s no Gurney fitted to the trailing edge of the upper flap yet, and the edge appears to have been slightly trimmed too.

A look down over the top of the C44’s endplate and how the angle of the surface allows a wedge-shaped diveplane to be used within the confines of the allowable box region.