Six teams brought updates to their cars in Miami. Red Bull stood out with a significant package aimed at helping the RB21 generate more aerodynamic load thanks to a revised floor. While some teams made minor adjustments tailored to the circuit, others introduced more substantial upgrades. Here is a breakdown of each team’s developments.
Red Bull
Red Bull appears to have accelerated the development and production of its new floor, which debuted in Miami.
The updated floor, fitted only on Max Verstappen’s car, featured changes around the Venturi channel inlets and along the outer edge.
The engineering goal was to increase downforce and widen the RB21’s operating window. To achieve this, the angle of attack of the vortex generators on the outer edge was increased, alongside a reshaping of the fences at the Venturi channel entrance.
The package delivered positive results immediately, and Verstappen was able to fully exploit it up to qualifying. Telemetry data showed that Yuki Tsunoda’s RB21, which lacked the upgrade, struggled more.
However, the improvements were not enough: McLaren’s dominance resulted in a gap of about 40 seconds between Red Bull and the race leader—a significant margin.
Alpine
Alpine introduced a major update in a key area of the car.
The front brake ducts were redesigned, leading to corresponding changes in the fairings of the front suspension arms.
The objective was to optimize airflow around and into the brake ducts. As seen with McLaren, it is essential for brake ducts to efficiently manage heat dissipation to avoid transferring excess heat to the tires, which would reduce grip.
Sauber
Sauber also worked on the front end of their car, introducing a new cover for the front suspension arms.
These arms, now crucial aerodynamic components, are used by engineers to channel airflow efficiently toward the sidepods and the floor of the car.
Adaptation Updates
Mercedes
Mercedes introduced their first W16 update of the season, focusing on the rear wing flap.
The new, lower-downforce specification was tailored to Miami’s layout, which requires high aerodynamic efficiency and low drag.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin brought a notable package aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag.
The final flap of the front wing now has a less aggressive profile, reducing downforce to better balance the car with the rear wing group, which was also updated.
The beam wings were trimmed as well to optimize drag resistance.
Williams
Williams made a circuit-specific change for Miami, introducing a new, shorter-chord beam wing to reduce vertical load and minimize drag.
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