Mercedes have arrived at the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with an extra winglet on the side of the car in an attempt to improve airflow.
In Australia, the Silver Arrows’ car sported two winglets halfway between the front nose and the extremely small sidepods in a bid to improve airflow and eradicate “porpoising,” but its effects were minimal and they have now implemented a new one.
On the Mercedes livery, there is an ocean of black carbon fibre on the lower half of the chassis, with a green strip in the middle.
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Two weeks ago in Melbourne, the upper winglet was placed at the top of the black painted part of the car, while the lower winglet was in the green strip.
Spanish journalist Albert Fabrega has revealed that the introduction of the third winglet now sees the lower one placed in the green strip and the middle one on the black carbon fibre, while the top one is now on the silver section of the chassis just underneath the cockpit.
The aim of the new arrival to the car is that the extra singlet works cohesively with the other two to send the air down into the lower half of the sidepods, preventing extrusion into other areas.
This disturbed airflow is what upset the floor of the car and caused the incessant bouncing and, while it will not simply be completely diminished by the addition of a new small aerodynamic part, the more channelled airflow is expected to reduce the disturbance to the floor.
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It will then naturally act to better streamline the car, helping their straight-line speed and this, coupled with the fact that the bouncing will be lighter, could potentially give them significant gains on the straights compared to Red Bull and Ferrari.
The Scuderia’s pace on the straights will also be a point on intrigue, as they have installed a new and more powerful engine into Carlos Sainz’s car.