McLaren Unleashes Game-Changing ‘Mini DRS’ – The Secret to Their Thrilling Azerbaijan GP Victory
McLaren’s Rear Wing Design Sparks Technical Interest in F1
The aftermath of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has sparked renewed technical interest, with McLaren’s rear wing taking center stage. Rear-view camera footage from Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 shows the upper flaps distorting under load, most notably on the outer tip of the upper flap which tilts upwards as speed increases.
This has the potential to further reduce drag and increase straight-line speed, and will likely bring the topic of flexible wings back into the spotlight.
Questions that have been raised so far this season have been about the legality of some of the front wing solutions. However, it is clear that there will be renewed interest in rear wing deflection and flex elements for the remainder of the season.
The accusations over McLaren’s rear wing design came after a race in which Piastri held off Leclerc, who opened the DRS.
Flexible Wings in F1
Flexible wings have long been a thorn in the side of F1. After all, teams are always looking for ways to use aeroelasticity to improve the performance of their cars, as part of the static tests the FIA uses to reduce its effects.
Of course, these components will always deform differently as the loads on the track exceed the test values. The tests focus on establishing a baseline to prevent unsafe designs.
However, this has led to the use of other tactics to monitor the situation. Monitoring on-board camera footage provides a way to understand how component deformation is occurring, so that rules can be changed to prevent things from getting further out of control.
Regulating Wing Rotation
The method was introduced in 2021, with the governing body requiring all teams to install 12 aiming points in specific positions on the wings and dihedral flaps. This allows the points to be used as a reference when checking images from the rear-facing camera.
In terms of the pure effect of this deflection, the gap between the top flap and the wing is likely to have a similar effect to a deployed DRS. However, it is not as effective as the DRS. But since this happens when the whole thing is under load, you can expect performance to improve throughout the lap.
McLaren’s “Mini-DRS” Advantage
This so-called “Mini-DRS” is another example of the ingenuity of F1 engineers in interpreting the regulations differently to their rivals and consequently gaining an advantage.
For example, flap flexing was observed midway through the race in Azerbaijan. In the onboard video you can see that the top flap was lifted along the tip of the outside section, although not as much as the main straight.
But the most interesting battle is yet to come. Other teams are no doubt considering how to incorporate similar design techniques, although McLaren has probably already taken full advantage of them this season.
Category: Formula 1 / McLaren F1 Team / F1 Azerbaijan GP