F1 | Technique: tell me what radiator you have and I'll tell you what single-seater you are

In the winter it was said that the 2024 single-seaters would converge towards design choices very much inspired by the Red Bull RB19. The first to break this mold was the world champion team which decided to take a risk by introducing new concepts in the cooling system onto the innovative RB20, with the aim of once again putting mechanics at the service of the best aerodynamics.

But if we look at the other top cars (Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes) we can see that each team went their own way, without following the path that had been traced by Milton Keynes.

To guarantee the aerodynamicists an extreme undercut of the side, Adrian Newey saw fit to distribute the radiant packs and the intercooler in an unusual way. The turbo heat exchanger was laid out on the belly floor, while the water and oil radiators were raised and tilted very far forward, worsening the center of gravity. To avoid moving the weights too high to the detriment of the rideability of the RB20, Pierre Wache's staff decided to reduce the central radiator, mounted diagonally on the Honda engine. The cooling unit fed by the airbox ears is significantly smaller and placed horizontally above the 6-cylinder, while the smaller service radiators have been cleverly placed in the eye-catching bazooka.

Each of the four stages of the cooling system is served by a specific air intake: the intercooler from the vertical mouth to the entrance of the bellies, the water and oil radiators from the horizontal one, while the openings between the bonnet and the bazooka for services. In the end Newey should have found a good center of gravity by raising some radiators and lowering others, with meticulous work in the packaging which must have cost something in terms of weight with more pipes and ducts.

Ferrari SF-24: the radiators in the sides are inclined and slightly arched

Photo by: Uncredited

Ferrari did not revolutionize the system already developed on the SF-23: the Scuderia slightly raised the sandwich radiators which were now no longer inclined forward to fit in the bodywork, but were arched, taking up a Red Bull concept. The intercooler is housed in the niche of the chassis and is mounted in front of the engine, while at the rear there is only the gearbox radiator, while in Maranello they prefer to have a profiled bonnet and have never adopted the “central” one. The red one, therefore, seemed rather conservative, compared to the RB20, but at Gestion Sportiva they bet on the reliability of the system.

McLaren MCL38: radiators in the almost horizontal bellies and the central one is on the Mercedes engine

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

McLaren has evolved the MCL60 system: the central radiator on the Mercedes engine has remained: it is higher than the 2023 one but also seems slightly narrower. The cooling masses in the bellies are significantly higher and the sandwich radiators are slightly inclined, but not horizontal.

In Woking they favored a “double bottom” more hollowed out than that of the Ferrari to have a greater air flow on the floor of the bottom. On the “papaya” they dared more in the wind tunnel, trusting in the durability of the Brixworth power unit. The small, square radiator mouth is already striking, preceded by an aerofoil that laminates the flow and serves as a support for the mirrors: McLaren have risked aggressive choices to try to challenge Max Verstappen.

And it is no coincidence that in tests the MCL38 traveled almost 500 km less than Ferrari and Red Bull having suffered some youth problems. The spare chassis had been set up to overcome a problem of fuel draft in the tank, before the clutch problems.

Mercedes W15: Allison has changed the location of the radiators in the all-new layout

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

James Allison, taking over from Mercedes, redesigned the chassis of the W15: on last year's unfortunate car the radiators were “packed” into the side protrusions of the tank. This configuration has disappeared and there is a more traditional arrangement of the radiators with the flared triangular-shaped mouth, which brings the black-silver arrow back into the canons of a decidedly more classic layout.

The image of Giorgio Piola it also shows us the extreme cleanliness of the internal part of the side which is totally closed. The shot also offers us two other interesting details: the new push rod rear suspension shows the mechanisms external to the transmission box. Also note the two tie rods which are intended to limit the flexing of the bottom: these elements, useful for controlling the onset of porpoising, are tools that refer to those previously seen on the Red Bull.