F1 | Red Bull: ground effect is exacerbated in the RB20 T-Tray

Red Bull hides very interesting gems on the RB20. Adrian Newey's car must be analyzed in every detail, even what might seem most insignificant, because the “genius” is capable of finding performance in any part of the car.

Since the birth of ground effect cars, the design of the splitter under the body has changed: the long lip that protruded like a cantilever with the previous regulation has no longer been seen. The increasingly stringent rules regarding fund flexibility have changed the characteristics of an area of ​​the single-seater that has always been delicate.

Imagination, however, is the sharp edge of ingenuity: Newey, in fact, has exaggerated an aerodynamic concept that had already been sketched out on last year's RB19. What is it about? To begin with, the splitter is very short because inside the vertical fin there are also some control units and other electronic elements which can be well protected and easily cooled with a specific open air intake on the “bulb”.

Having said this, it is fair to observe that what was the T-tray, over time, has transformed into an aerodynamic element with a shape which, laterally, resembles that of an aerofoil with a rather profiled leading edge and then descends towards the rear.

If there wasn't a little above the second aerodynamic element it wouldn't be possible to create a sort of Venturi channel which works as if there were a sort of double bottom. The combined effect of the two profiles, in fact, should increase the local downforce in a crucial point of the car. Not only that, but there is also an attempt to direct the flows destined for the bottom channel closest to the body which flows the air into the rear diffuser, improving the efficiency of the RB20.

The “second splitter” has in fact been gradually adapted in its design to become increasingly functional to the flow trend. The topic also attracted the attention of Haas technicians: in the update package that the American team had brought to China there was not only the bottom, rather than the bonnet with more open gills to facilitate heat evacuation from the radiators, but also a T-tray that takes up the ideas developed by Red Bull.

On the VF-24 we saw a slightly different solution from the one applied by the Milton Keynes team, because the upper flow diverter is closer to the ground than the one visible on the RB20, but the technicians directed by Andrea De Zordo certainly took inspiration from the Red Bull.

This is a preview of what we will also see on the Ferrari SF-24 starting from the Made in Italy and Emilia Romagna GP. We will see…