TECH WEEKLY: How Ferrari, Aston Martin and Kick Sauber initiated the 2024 development race in Australia

The subtlety of aerodynamic tweaks was a theme of the few car updates seen in Melbourne. Since the changes made to the circuit in 2022, Albert Park now favours a low-drag set up, though not quite to the extreme of the previous track, Jeddah. But the changes evident on the Aston Martin, Kick Sauber and Ferrari were all aero development parts rather than specific low-drag parts to suit the circuit. We can expect to see them in use on subsequent tracks.

Aston Martin

Looking first at the Aston Martin, the difference between its new front wing and its old is incredibly subtle. The top element has slightly less flap area but the distribution of the area across the span of the flap is different too. This is reflected in the curvature of the flap below (bottom arrow).