15/02/2019
NEWS STORY
Ferrari has taken the wraps off its 2019 contender, the SF90, the Italian team having gone down the Red Bull route and opting for a matte finish.
The SF90 is the sixty-fifth single-seater built by Ferrari to contest the Formula 1 World Championship. The car has been produced based on the new regulations, which have required various changes compared to the 2018 car.
Among the most obvious changes are those to the front and rear wings. The front wing is wider and boasts simpler aerodynamic profiles, while the rear is wider and higher. The bargeboards have been reduced in height, while the front brake duct design has been simplified.
The overall weight of the car increases to 743 kilos, including the driver and his kit, which must weigh a minimum of 80 kilos. The fuel allowance for the race increases from 105 to 110 kg. The SF90 is the sixth car built for the sport's hybrid era, which began in 2014.
The 2019 regulations require a simplification of the front wing, consequently its width is increased to 2 metres, which is exactly the same as the track of the car, while the number of horizontal elements cannot exceed five.
The vertical elements at the extremities of the wing are no longer allowed and the geometry of the endplates has been simplified. The purpose of these changes is to make the cars less sensitive to the outwash effect when following another car.
Over the years, the shape of the front air brake ducts has become extremely sophisticated and they have evolved to also play an aerodynamic role. In 2019, this is another component that has been simplified in the regulations.
Like the front wing, the rear has also been subjected to rule changes for 2019. It is higher by 70 millimetres, increasing from 800 to 870mm and wider, increasing from the previous 950 to 1050mm.
The end plates are 100 mm longer and house the rear lights, which consist of a pair of LEDs at the outer edges of the rear wing, in a solution similar to the one already adopted by the FIA for LMP1 and LMP2 prototype cars. Rule changes also affect the Drag Reduction System (DRS,) which is now more effective.
The new rules have limited the design options in terms of the bargeboards also, by reducing the area available to the designers. The maximum height for the bargeboards drops from 475 millimetres to 350 above the reference plane.
The engine cover of the SF90 is considerably narrower in order to improve the car's aero efficiency. Work on refining engine components and relocation of some of its ancillaries has led to a reduction in the space taken up, thus allowing for a much more compact bodywork design. This has the advantage of cleaning the airflow to the rear wing.
The air intake now has a similar shape to that found on the 2016 car, while work on the fluid-dynamics inside the car means it has the same level of cooling efficiency as the SF71H, while taking up less space.
For the 2019, 064 power unit, both the thermal and mechanical efficiency has continued to develop. This was achieved working on engine combustion, energy recovery and fluids. The Power Unit layout has been designed in symbiosis with the overall car design, while energy storage system reduced its weight and volume.
Check out our Ferrari SF90 reveal gallery, here.