Racing Bulls: radical front wing design for VCARB 02 features endplate slots | F1 Spanish GP. Racing Bulls introduces a bold new front wing design at the Spanish GP.

The Faenza team did more than just make the front wing legal in line with the new anti-flexion directives: the aerodynamicists introduced a completely new solution that goes well beyond a structural modification, aiming to generate a greater outwash effect with new airflow channels in the endplate.

Racing Bulls want to capitalise on the potential of the VCARB 02: the two drivers are consistently in the Top 10, a sign that the rule changes have not affected the competitiveness of the Faenza car. The team led by Laurent Mekies took advantage of the introduction of the new front wing flex tests to bring front-end changes to Barcelona.

The team didn’t just realign the front wing to comply with the FIA’s stricter standards, but also used the opportunity to introduce a completely new solution that alters the aerodynamic philosophy.

Racing Bulls, in fact, reduced the protrusion of the nose where it connects to the main plane, moving closer to Red Bull’s concept, which has clearly opted for a shorter nose that rests on the second element.

The front wing of the VCARB 02 has taken an interesting development direction aimed at preserving controlled flexing opportunities. The main profile has a very wide chord and is heavily cambered to generate powerful airflow, while the second element narrows significantly toward the side endplate to increase the outwash effect.

The aerodynamicists have done a clever job: at the outer end of the endplate, they have opened three slots using the curved, curled shape of the flaps, which now function not only as airflow channels but also as vortex generators.

The innovative aspect is that Racing Bulls have created a metal support to which the three flaps are attached, and this new element forms a sort of mailbox shape with the upper part of the endplate—introducing a concept similar to Mercedes. On the W16, the Brackley-based team had introduced a double flow guide, which was later copied by Red Bull and Ferrari. In Milton Keynes, the aero department—in the UK to facilitate synergies between sister teams—aimed for a similar result with a different design. Interesting…