Haas taught us very little and Red Bull resorted to a basic model made by Formula 1, but Aston Martin has presented the first real Formula 1 that deserves to be analysed.
It has cost us, but finally we have been able to witness a presentation that reveals a Formula 1 worthy of being analyzed with something more than simple curiosity.
And it is that Haas presented some renderings that apart from some very bulky pontoons and a specific nose, practically nothing changed in relation to the model presented by the category last year at Silverstone. Red Bull directly painted the model with its colors and refused to show anything related to its new RB18.
But nevertheless, Aston-Martin it has presented its new AMR22 which, although it will change a lot in the coming weeks as a result of the enormous margin for improvement that the recently released regulations generate, already tells us some things worth mentioning.
A strict regulation
We must bear in mind that the technical regulations released this year completely break with the above, so there is no comparison with the single-seaters of past seasons. In addition, it does not leave much room for the imagination as a result of a deliberately strict text. Despite this, surely little by little the teams surprise us with an always overflowing imagination on the part of their respective design and engineering departments.
Starting with the comparison between the base Formula 1 car and the new AMR22we see that the nose is much narrower and also thin (3)especially in the area closest to the front suspensions, which in this case are type push rod (4).
In addition, the front spoiler features a main plane (one) much more stylized and suspended below the nose, since it is actually anchored to the second plane located above, and on which the flaps adjustable secondaries. We also see that the end plate(two) it forms a whole with the two first planes and the two flaps, although these to a much lesser extent than in the model.
Horizontal radiators?
We continue to progress towards the rear of the car, but we stop in the immediate vicinity of the pontoons, which have a lot to comment on.
The first thing we see are the aerodynamic hubcaps (5), which return this year to Formula 1, but above all very stylized and narrow pontoons (pink lines) that hint at the adoption of interior radiators in a horizontal position. Also, the air intake is very small (6)considerably more than that of the base model.
On the engine hood we can see that the traditional hump of the Mercedes engine remains this year in the AMR22 (8)while the lower sculpting of the pontoons is really deep, creating a tunnel type undercut(7) that had not been seen in Formula 1 for many years.
This is undoubtedly related to the return of the ground effect, which is generated with large channels located under the car and which feed a large diffuser. For this to be as effective as possible, as much air as possible should flow over the top of the floor to help build the pressure differential.
In the following image, we can better appreciate the sculptured pontoonsas well as the unique shape of the car’s floor, which in its most advanced part rises to generate the entrance to the ground effect channels that feed the diffuser under the car.
We also appreciate interesting details such as the double keel/splitter(eleven) located under the pilot’s feet, the bargeboards(12) simplified this year and the return of beam wing(13)a double plane located in the lower part of the rear spoiler and sculpted around the exhaust pipe.
Surely this and the rest of the cars that we will see in the presentations and in the first tests in Barcelona (from February 23 to 25) will evolve a lot in Bahrain, but at least we already have the first real Formula 1 of 2022. What do you think?