F1’s pre-season testing is officially underway in Bahrain with a number of the grid out on track and clocking valuable laps for their teams.
The testing provides each team with essential data as they continue to refine their cars ahead of the season opener.
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Although Aussie star Daniel Ricciardo didn’t take to the track in Bahrain for Visa Cash App RB in the afternoon session on day one of testing, his fellow countryman Oscar Piastri clocked 57 vital laps for McLaren.
Outside of the Aussie pair, there’s been plenty of interest among the teams in the defending champions’ new design which shows off the zero-pod design.
Red Bull Racing’s RB20 has finally broken cover outside of the protected environment of the team’s launch at its Milton Keynes factory, shedding light on its innovative sidepods.
It was unclear based on the positioning of the car at the launch event and from the digital renders exactly how the sidepods and bodywork had been configured, with only hints at a major change.
Having set its first laps in Bahrain for testing, the extent of the modifications is clear.
Most cars — following RBR’s trend from previous years — have horizontal radiator inlets in their sidepods. The sidepod openings — which allow air through the car for cooling — are therefore long horizontal apertures high on the bodywork.
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Red Bull Racing, however, appears to have rotated its radiators to create a vertical cooling opening close to the cockpit. The repackaging has allowed the overall shape of the car to be reconsidered for better aerodynamic performance.
The heat of Bahrain — though it’s not too hot just yet — will be a stern test of the car’s cooling efficiency.
More interesting still is that the RB20 appears to have several different openings not usually seen on the modern generation of car.
There is another slim horizontal opening shielded by the sidepod overbite, and then there are the large inlets on either side of the driver’s head, just above eye level. They appear to lead into the bulbous parts on the engine cover that some are calling ‘cannons’.
There’s also a pair of openings on the top of the nose reminiscent of the old McLaren ‘F-duct’ that used to stall the rear wing for straight-line speed, the precursor to the DRS.
What all these modifications amount to? Rumour is that Red Bull Racing has several rounds of upgrades due this test and at the first race. We may not get a clear picture until the opening grand prix.
F1 TESTING COVERAGE TIMES
Night 1 – 10.55pm Wednesday AEDT
Day 2 – 5.50pm Thursday AEDT
Night 2 – 10.55pm Thursday AEDT
Day 3 – 5.50pm Friday AEDT
Night 3 – 10.55pm Friday AEDT
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Source Agencies
