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Lap 1️⃣
Ferrari's six-month engineering gamble
Ferrari's rotating rear wing may look like a simple aerodynamic upgrade, but it reportedly required five to six months of development.
The challenge wasn't making the upper flap rotate. It was ensuring that, as the wing switches between Straight Line Mode and maximum downforce, aerodynamic loads are transferred through the structure in a controlled and repeatable way.
That's far more difficult than it sounds.
When the wing closes at over 300 km/h, it is instantly subjected to enormous aerodynamic forces. Rather than allowing the actuator to carry those loads, Ferrari engineered the wing so they are absorbed primarily by the structure itself once the flap returns to its high-downforce position.
The benefits extend beyond reliability. Reducing stress on the actuator also improves consistency, ensuring the wing returns to the same aerodynamic position every time it is activated. In Formula 1, where tiny changes in rear-wing behaviour can affect the airflow feeding the diffuser and rear floor, repeatability is just as important as outright performance.
It is a reminder that Formula 1 development isn't always about finding more downforce or less drag. Sometimes the biggest engineering challenge is designing a mechanism capable of performing flawlessly through thousands of activation cycles while maintaining identical aerodynamic behaviour every lap.
That's why Ferrari spent half a season perfecting a component most fans barely notice.
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Lap 2️
Red Bull’s wing camera
Can you spot the small camera mounted on the main plane of Red Bull's rear wing?
Its purpose is to capture the behaviour of the rotating flap while the car is running. By analysing the footage frame by frame, engineers can verify that the mechanism deploys exactly as intended and observe how the wing behaves under the immense aerodynamic loads generated at over 300 km/h.
Following Verstappen's incidents in Austria and Silverstone, Red Bull has reverted to a conventional rear wing for Spa, with the FIA inspecting the revised package before the weekend.
Friday's practice sessions also revealed an intriguing trend. Teams are using noticeably different Straight Line Mode deployment strategies, activating the system at different points around the lap to balance top speed, braking performance and energy management.
That makes rear-wing efficiency more important than ever. It's not just about reducing drag on the straights. The way the airflow reattaches when the wing returns to its high-downforce position influences the stability of the entire rear aerodynamic platform, affecting braking confidence, tyre loading and the efficiency of MGU-K energy harvesting.
The rear wing may only move a few centimetres, but that movement influences almost everything that follows—top speed, braking stability, energy recovery and ultimately lap time. That's why teams monitor every deployment frame by frame.
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Lap 3️
Audi's missing wing
Unlike nine other Formula 1 teams, Audi has chosen not to use the small exhaust wing first introduced by Ferrari earlier this season and already set to be banned for 2027. Haas remains the only other team following the same philosophy.
It may be one of the smallest aerodynamic components on the car, but its influence is far greater than its size suggests. The wing helps condition the low-pressure wake behind the car, improving how airflow exits the rear wing and diffuser. Even subtle changes in this region can affect overall aerodynamic efficiency and rear-end stability.
Audi's decision points to a different aerodynamic philosophy. Rather than relying on this additional surface to manage the wake, its engineers appear to have optimised the airflow using other parts of the rear-end package.
It's another reminder that Formula 1 engineering is rarely about copying the fastest solution. The regulations define the destination—but every team is free to choose its own route.
Sometimes the biggest engineering story isn't the new part a team brings to the track—it's the one they decide they don't need.
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Lap 4️⃣
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Lap 5️
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