With AlphaTauri, Formula 1 is preparing for the halfway point of presentations. In spite of the only five stables that have been revealed so far, net of the launches that took place through standard models or simple renderings, it has nevertheless emerged a differentiation between the choices of the designers, definitely appreciated after a technical cycle in which the differences between the cars had progressively narrowed. The all-new McLaren and Aston Martin have profoundly distinguished themselves in both mechanics and aerodynamics, but the Faenza-based team is exploring another alternative path. The originality shines through in particular in the modeling of the sidepods and the bonnet to guide the flows towards the rear, while a big question mark still hangs on the schemes of the suspension units. Although the single-seater presented by the Italian team differs from the standard model, several clues suggest that some characteristics have been artfully altered to hide the choices of the technical department, in particular on the mechanics front.
The most interesting and most reliable aspects of the AT03 are concentrated in the sides of the Faenza car, whose shapes reveal a design approach different from that pursued by Aston Martin and McLaren, the latter more similar to Haas in the bonnet lines. From the front view, you can see how AlphaTauri comes closest to the Aston Martin setting: the air intakes of the side radiators stand out for their squared outline, while the external lines of the bellies outline particularly high sidepods in the upper part, exploiting the bodywork for remove the turbulence generated by the front wing from the center of the car. While in order to deflect turbulence externally, McLaren offers wide sides also in the lower area, the bellies of the AT03, like those of the AMR22, are instead more hollowed out at the bottom aiming to convey air into the channels obtained below the radiator outlets.
The front view therefore distinguishes the McLaren approach from that of Aston Martin and AlphaTauri, but from the side it is possible to appreciate how even these two have diversified in the management of flows directed towards the rear environment. AlphaTauri has obtained an aerodynamic slide, curving the bodywork like a fairing of the bellies to exploit the same effect sought with the cars of the previous generation. The flows adhering to the bodywork follow its design, so that from the upper part of the sidepods the air progressively reaches the bottom, then venting into the environment behind the car, accelerating the flows extracted from the diffuser and increasing the aerodynamic load released from the underbody. On the AT03, the air conveyed to the center of the car below the radiator outlets then reaches the rear end, as the path is blocked by the sidepods that connect to the bottom, but is diverted towards the outside. In this you can see the difference from Aston Martin, whose sidepods remain high up to the rear, so that the flows channeled at the height of the passenger compartment continue undisturbed up to the rear environment. Finally, from the side view it is possible to see how even in the upper part the hood of the AT03 has been shaped to better direct the flows towards the environment immediately below the rear wing.
The aerial view highlights further differences. Precisely due to the presence of the aerodynamic “slides” obtained from the sidepods, on the AlphaTauri the narrowing of the bodywork towards the rear is much more progressive respect that on McLaren, whose technical department has instead aimed to free up as much space as possible above the Venturi channels. Different speech for Aston Martin, which to make the most of the cooling grids in the bodywork maintains the initial width of the sides up to the height of the rear wheels, and then suddenly closes in a very narrow tail, at least in the version seen in the presentation, whose disturbance aerodynamics of the rear is reduced to a minimum.
The cooling grids were omitted during presentations by Haas, McLaren and AlphaTauri itself, but the certainties are beginning to waver that these will actually appear when the cars hit the track. The hot air vents represent a precious help to the stables to contain the temperatures inside the bonnet without resorting to a large opening in the tail, but it cannot be excluded that AlphaTauri, McLaren and Haas can introduce side grilles without exploiting the maximum surface area allowed by the regulation, as instead done by Aston Martin. In fact, AlphaTauri aims to feed the rear environment with the air collected by the sidepods, exploiting the adhesion of the flows to the curved downward surfaces. Opening large cooling grids in the bodywork would greatly disturb the flow, having repercussions on the air flow reaching the rear end, therefore on the diffuser extraction process and therefore on the aerodynamic load released from the underbody. This could explain why AlphaTauri and McLaren have shown a decidedly generous terminal vent for hot air, albeit still in a provisional version, preferring not to take full advantage of the side cooling grids hidden in the renderings and paying the duty of a wider tail. at the rear, but helping in the aerodynamic cleanliness of the sides. Aston Martin, on the other hand, by keeping the sidepods raised and feeding the rear area with the space obtained in the flaring of the bellies, can use the upper part of the body to make the most of the cooling grids, without having to widen the vent in the tail. It will therefore be advisable to evaluate on the track a possible differentiation between the teams also in the surface of the side grids and the rear opening.
Regarding the suspension scheme, it is appropriate to distinguish what can be seen in the renderings from what could actually correspond to the design of the AT03. In the published images the single-seater from Faenza mounts a push-rod suspension at the front, but unlike Haas, McLaren and Aston Martin the steering arm is not aligned with one of the two triangles. As far as possible, such a technical choice appears unlikely, as failure to align the steering arm with the other suspension elements would introduce an additional aerodynamic obstacle to the flows directed to the center of the car. In addition, the Faenza team had already concealed its narrow nose during the presentation phase last season, and then presented itself on the track with a front end and a different suspension unit attached to it. In any case, in the comparison between the AT03 seen in the renderings and the Aston Martin, also equipped with a push-rod suspension, on the Faenza single-seater the triangles are less convergent along the vertical plane and mounted higher, close to the edge. upper body, defining a kinematics and aerodynamic influence different from those of the English car.
At the rear AlphaTauri presented a diagram pull-rod, which, however, must also be confirmed once the car takes to the track. Furthermore, while the front suspension group is designed independently in Faenza, the rear is shared with Red Bull, with whom, however, the comparison is missing since the Milton Keynes team has not unveiled the real 2022 single-seater.
Similarly, any consideration on the external aerodynamic dress is provisional, since the latest specifications will only be visible starting from the tests. In contrast to what has been seen on McLaren and Aston Martin cars, on the AT03 the nose engages on the main profile of the front wing. The wing also stays low to stay close to the ground and generate more local load, deviating from Aston Martin’s choice of a raised wing to reduce venturi obstruction and channel more air into the underbody. In this first iteration, however, the AlphaTauri endplates move away from the McLaren design, getting closer to that proposed by the FIA models. Precisely this detail, combined with the shape of the nose and the lines of the rear wing, increases the probability that the Faenza team has omitted the real aerodynamic look of the AT03.
Despite the perplexity on the actual representativeness of what has been seen in the field of mechanics and ailerons, the single-seater presented by AlphaTauri differs from the standard cars of the Federation, maintaining a link with the AT03 which will take part in the 2022 championship. particular reveal a different approach from those seen so far, enriching the technical variety on the grid for the next world championship, reflected by the vast chromatic diversity of the liveries, the only real certainty in these first presentations.
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