Williams and McLaren among teams with upgrades for the F1 Chinese Grand Prix

The Formula 1 grid is in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, the second race of the season.

But upgrades have already arrived to the paddock.

Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, four teams brought upgrades to Shanghai International Circuit: McLaren, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, Williams, and Sauber. They identified those upgrades in the “Car Presentation Submission,” a document produced ahead of each Grand Prix that includes the submissions from all ten F1 teams regarding their upgrades. While the upgrades are minor, they are a reminder that F1 teams are always seeking improvement.

At Sauber, the team brought an updated engine cover, listed as a “performance/flow conditioning” update. According to the team, “[t]his test item has a potentially positive effect to the flow field around the bodywork surfaces, improving both overall downforce of the car and the aero efficiency.”

Williams brought a circuit-specific upgrade to Shanghai, with an updated rear beam wing. As stated by the team in their Car Presentation Submission, the updated rear beam wing “[i]s a larger span version of the wing raced in Melbourne. There is also an optional forward lower wing that can accompany this main beam wing.” The team believes that the “new beam wing options, which have a larger area than the previous version simply generate more load and drag from rear wing assembly. This gives an efficient increase in load at medium-high downforce circuits.”

VCARB brought a change to the front wing as well as the beam wing, both of which the team noted as “circuit specific.” As stated by the team in their submission they have added gurney options to the front wing, a change necessary for the aerodynamic requirements of Shanghai International Circuit. “For circuits with higher aero balance requirements, adding gurneys to the front wing increases the front wing load generated at a given flap angle,” stated the team in their Car Presentation Submission.

As for their rear beam wing, VCARB has brought to Shanghai an upgraded “[t]wo-element beam wing with greater camber & incidence,” that includes a raised tail edge of the rear beam wing. According to VCARB “[r]aising the trailing edge of the beam wing and using a two-element configuration increases the overall load generated by the rear wing assembly but with some additional drag, making it suitable at some higher-downforce circuits.”

As for McLaren, their upgrade is designated as a performance upgrade, and the team has brought a new rear brake duct inlet to Shanghai. According to the team this new component “improves local flow physics in interaction with floor and tire, resulting in an overall gain in aerodynamic performance.”

With the only practice session of the week starting in just a few hours, it will not be long until we see these components in action.