Analysis - Ferrari’s rear diffuser evolution

Car development is always intense over the opening rounds of the season, as the teams get to know their new machines and the areas of potential performance gain.

In Bahrain Ferrari brought another new update to their rear diffuser. The miniature flaps introduced on the outer rear edges of the diffuser at the end of 2015 (left inset) have undergone a major evolution, with the elements now much larger (main drawing - right inset shows changes from above).

The diffuser’s outer footplate has also grown in size and altered in shape. All these changes work together to help the diffuser produce more downforce. Other revisions to the SF16-H in Sakhir (unseen here) included floor modifications near the vertical turning vanes at the front of the sidepods.