Ferrari has trimmed its front wing upper flaps in order to cater for the demands of the Baku street circuit and tailor it to the choice it will make with the rear wing. Also worth noting in this image is the curvature of the endplate, a design choice that many teams are making in order to manage the flow around the front tyre and clean up the turbulent wake that would otherwise be generated by it.
A close-up view of the Mercedes W14’s rear end, including its deep central spoon-shaped rear wing, beam wing and diffuser. Note the shut lines in the upper corner of the endplate where the team can quickly change the layout to suit the demands, while the mouse house in the side of the diffuser’s wall is visible from this angle. Mercedes has also changed to a three-tier, stepped lower edge on the brake duct winglet.
A look under the skin of the Alfa Romeo C43 as the mechanics prepare it for action, with the radiators and coolers layered on top of one another within the sidepod. Also note the lower downforce rear wing with a shallow spoon-shaped mainplane profile and the diagonally sawn-off wing tip section.
A collection of wings stacked up outside the Mercedes garage as the team prepares the W14s for action, while being mindful of any damage that could be inflicted throughout the course of the weekend.
Haas has trimmed a significant section of the upper flap of the rear wing back for Baku to reduce some drag and increase top speed.
A look at the inboard elements of the push-rod rear suspension on the Red Bull RB19 and the main exhaust outlet, which rises up through the gearbox casing.
An overview of the rear wing mounted on the RB19 which is devoid of a Gurney flap during the buildup and has a deep V-groove in the central section of the upper flap to offer further assistance in reducing drag.
The metal bridge support for the rear wing’s central pillar on the Red Bull RB19 also acts as a higher position with which to mount the upper wishbone.
Here we can see some of the Red Bull's details that are usually hidden away beneath the rear brake drum, with the various ducting exposed. Also note the metal beams used to hold the floor in place that are protruding out from the sidepods.
Mercedes appears to be employing its lower downforce spoon-shaped rear wing solution for Baku, with the upper flap trimmed back, while a Gurney flap has been applied in this instance that might later be removed.
A closer look at the Mercedes W14’s rear wing, which also allows us a better view of the DRS mechanism.
A higher downforce front wing variant for Alpine on the A523, with the upper flap extruded upwards ahead of the front tyre.
Alpine also has this lower downforce option for its front wing range in Baku, with a large cutout made in the mid-section of the upper flap.
The front brake assembly on the McLaren MCL60 has contoured fairings that deliver cool air to the brake disc and caliper.
Red Bull, for comparison, uses a larger disc fairing over the upper half of the brake disc, which results in a less tortuous routing for the ducting that feeds the caliper with cool air.
Red Bull has a similar arrangement at the rear of the RB19, albeit with a narrower disc fairing given the disc has a smaller footprint.
Aston Martin has a similar setup on the AMR23, albeit the caliper is left undressed here, which allows us to see the tube fins present on the caliper design that save weight and help with cooling.
Haas has trimmed the upper elements on its front wing to balance the changes made with the rear wing.
A peek under the vanity panel at the tip of the nose on the Aston Martin AMR23.
AlphaTauri’s lower downforce rear wing is a spoon-shaped affair with an upper flap that gradually falls away on its trailing edge as it meets with the tip section.
A great view of the McLaren MCL60’s rear end, including the rear wing, diffuser and the splayed beam wing arrangement.
A look under the front wing and nose assembly of the Mercedes W14, which you may note is highly simplified when compared with the pre-2022 designs.
McLaren’s floor features an inboard strake that sits above the tide line of the floor’s leading edge, while a bulged section under the sidepod undercut helps to better manage the airflow both above and below the surface. Note that the edges of the floor and the strakes on the edge wing have all been tipped to help reduce flex.
A close-up of the edge wing on the MCL60’s floor, with the three vanes tipped to help protect them as the floor compresses towards the ground, while preventing them from overtly flexing.
One of Ferrari’s lower downforce spoon-shaped rear wing packages, which comes complete with the twin pillar arrangement.
Ferrari’s twin-element beam wing arrangement has a shorter chord element at the top that traverses the wing’s entire span, whereas most teams usually fix the upper elements to the top of the crash structure.
A Haas mechanic works on the VF-23’s DRS, allowing us to see the mechanism.
The edge of the floor on the Mercedes W14 is home to a number of smaller strakes that will work in combination with the tips of the underfloor fences as they snake their way to that portion of the floor. Also note how much the edge wing is rolled upwards in contrast with the height of the forward section of floor.
Ferrari has mounted some sensors on its floor in preparation for FP1 but also note how the edge of the floor ahead of the rear tyre is rolled up, while the double mouse house arrangement in the sidewall of the diffuser is also visible.
