F1 tech analysis | Why Red Bull make a different wing choice in Japan

After an exciting race won by Ferrari in Singapore, F1 visits Suzuka, one of the season's most spectacular and technical circuits. The Japanese track is well-known worldwide for its layout, made of a thrilling sequence of fast left-hand turns and some iconic corners like the Spoon Curve and the famous 130R. 

This makes Suzuka one of the most complete circuits on the calendar, where aerodynamics, mechanics and power unit all make the difference around a single lap. Over the race, the tyres (especially the fronts) are really stressed, so that's another factor teams need to manage. Finding the right set-up is, therefore, crucial to have a clean weekend, so let’s see which choices have been made by the teams this year. 

Red Bull seeks redemption in Suzuka

Red Bull had a poor race last time out in Singapore, as they failed to be competitive. Verstappen and Perez only finished P5 and P8 in the race. However, this weekend in Suzuka, the team is more optimistic, with Verstappen not worried about their problems in Singapore. Sure, they were only track-specific.

For this reason, the team has re-introduced the new floor they already tried in Singapore to test it again during Friday’s FP1, as this new solution could give more interesting results on a proper track like Suzuka. It has smoother asphalt and faster corners, where aerodynamics make the difference. Moreover, they are also choosing to run a medium downforce rear wing (this spec is the one previously used in Bahrain, Austria and Canada), with a spoon mainplane and quite a big DRS flap, which should provide enough downforce to manage the tyres during the race and achieve a good top speed. Since there’s only one DRS zone (on the main straight), having quite an efficient car for the other long straights is important.

That choice by Red Bull is quite unusual since, in the previous rounds, they’ve always shown higher downforce rear wings when compared to their competitors. Still, this decision could come from the new floor providing them with a lot more vertical load, allowing the team to run a less loaded rear wing.

Ferrari and Mclaren to confirm their performances  

Ferrari are expected to bring a new floor this weekend to keep up with the positive trend already started in Monza. This solution hasn’t been seen in the paddock yet but should have a completely re-designed surface, and it should allow the car to run at lower ride heights, meaning more downforce is generated without losing drag (the downforce generated by the Venturi channels is the best because it has a very low impact on drag). This package, which will be tested in Friday’s FP1, is paired with a medium downforce rear wing and beam wing, already seen in Silverstone. Despite the updates, this weekend should be more difficult for the Maranello team since the SF-23 suffers a lot on front-limited circuits because it's a natural-born understeering car. But Leclerc seems confident they’ll fight with Mercedes and McLaren for the second spot in the Constructors. 

McLaren arrives in Suzuka with high hopes to confirm their big steps forward. Piastri will also have the upgraded MCL60 this weekend, and both drivers feel confident that this layout should fit their car, allowing them to fight for the podium with Ferrari and Mercedes. The Woking-based team were also sporting a medium downforce rear wing as proof that all the top teams will use this kind of rear wing this weekend. 

Suzuka should also suit the W14, which has been a very strong car on tracks like Barcellona and Silverstone, so Mercedes believe they will be in the fight with Ferrari and McLaren this weekend. On the other hand, Aston Martin is expected to struggle around here since fast corners have always been tricky for their cars, even though they are sporting a new front wing last flap, which has been introduced to be in line with the new TD018. 

A closer look at floors and wings

On a track like Suzuka, the newly introduced TD018, which limits the flexibility of some aerodynamic elements (front and rear wings and beam wing as well) and TD039, which imposes limits on the resistance of the wood plank that runs under the bottom, used by the teams to ride closer to the ground, can have an impact on some teams. For this reason, during practices, it should be important to look closely at cars’ floors and wings to see if their behaviour has changed since the last races, resulting in a performance loss. 

In conclusion, everything is set for another exciting weekend of racing on one of the best tracks on the calendar. 

This article was created by Francesco Bianchi. Francesco is an Italian engineering student fond of drawing and F1's technical details. He has been studying engineering since 2021 and started watching Formula 1 in early 2016. Francesco enjoys learning the workings of every small part on the cars.