Technical innovations presented by the teams in Mexico City

      One of the main features of the Mexican round of the championship is the high altitude of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez above sea level. This affects the operation of all of the car’s systems; in particular, due to lower air density and reduced atmospheric pressure, the cooling process is less efficient.

      The purpose of most of the technical upgrades prepared by the teams for the Mexican Grand Prix is, in one way or another, related to addressing this issue.

      Ferrari

      Additional cooling louvers have appeared on the bodywork of Charles Leclerc’s and Lewis Hamilton’s cars in the area between the engine cover and the sidepods. As acknowledged by the Scuderia, the increase in performance of this system has been achieved at the expense of some reduction in the aerodynamic efficiency of the SF-25 bodywork. The size of the outlet openings of the rear brake ducts has also been increased—in accordance with the requirements of the Mexican circuit.

      Red Bull Racing

      The list of changes reported by Red Bull Racing is more extensive, and it concerns not only cooling-related solutions but also measures aimed at improving the RB21’s overall performance. The car is fitted with front brake ducts whose inlet and outlet openings have been enlarged; the configuration of the openings on the engine cover, through which hot air from the power unit exits, has been altered; and the cooling-system louvers have been widened. In addition, the team reports a “small adjustment to the geometry of the upper part of the floor in the area of the sidepod intakes.” The changes also affected additional aerodynamic elements located at the edges of the floor.

      Alpine F1

      The works Renault team’s cars have a revised engine cover configuration: in its rear section, in the area where the hot airflow exits, an additional element has been added to increase that airflow.

      Racing Bulls

      On the VCARB 02 car the area through which hot air exits from under the rear of the engine cover has been enlarged. The cooling-system louvers have also been made larger. Naturally, both solutions are aimed at improving the power unit’s cooling efficiency.

      Williams

      For the Mexican round of the season, the FW47s have had the number of slots increased in the area adjacent to the top of the sidepods. Moreover, the British team has two versions of the bodywork panels with these slots: on one the louvers are wider, on the other they are narrower. Increasing the number and size of the slots allows more air to pass through the cooling system, “which will help compensate for the relatively low air density in Mexico City.” Williams note that the option with “a higher placement of the panels with these louvers has a negative effect on downforce and aerodynamic drag — therefore it will be used only if there is a need to provide the power unit with more effective cooling.”

      Sauber

      The Swiss team reports an increase in the number of slots on the upper part of the sidepods, which raises the “upper limit of the cooling process’s effectiveness.”

      McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin and the Haas F1 Team reported no changes.