As expected, the sidepod, engine cover bodywork and the floor have all been heavily revised as part of this package in an effort to bring them in line with the aerodynamic concepts that the rest of the field have now largely converged on.
However, given it doesn’t have a blank canvas with which to work, some of the decisions it has taken with its update package appear to be less than perfect as they have needed to be introduced around current structures.
However, should the team decide this is a route it should take in the future, its ideas may provide further gains when it is able to better optimise its package as it starts with a clean sheet of paper.
The standout feature in this respect is the blister that is now present due to the much larger undercut in the sidepod bodywork.
The blister covers the lower SIS (Side Impact Spar) which, like Ferrari, is placed in a higher position on its chassis when compared with some of its rivals.
Rather than being placed high up, those teams have slung the SIS down as low as the regulations permit and it is housed within a blister section in the floor instead.