Track Torque: Catalunya, here we come

SPAIN is always a new beginning for the Formula 1 teams as it is the beginning of the European season.

Aerodynamics are uppermost at the moment and we can expect a barrage of changes on the cars to help the slower ones catch up and the faster ones get away.

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There are two fundamentally different approaches at the moment, headed by Mercedes with a long wheel base ‘level body’.

However most of the others have quickly followed Red Bull and Ferrari into a quite steeply raked design with the body set at a more than five degrees decline towards the front and hence a tail up attitude which gives this type of design a lot more down force via the under-tail device known as an aerodynamic diffuser.

This allows the rear wing to be run flatter reducing the drag from the aerofoil.

The lowest part of the chassis, ie the engine, is still set very low and showers sparks when its titanium skid plate hits the ground!

Please look out and see if you can identify the two completely different designs between Mercedes and the others.

It is easiest to see this when the TV cameras give a side and then tail view of the cars going around the slower corners.

At high speeds of over 300km per hour the cars tails sit down considerably and the rake angle changes to only a degree or two.

In addition to this, Ferrari has found a loophole in the regulations which the others have already started copying, which blows air down in a gap in the under tray past the side of the rear diffuser. Very interesting.

It is very likely to be another tyre race and could be extremely hot, although the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain, so, by George, you should have got it!

Qualifying and the race should take place at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

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