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Mercedes has unveiled a number of new updates for its home Formula 1 race at Hockenheim, including a new turning vane assembly, front wing and bodywork   With the bargeboards and turning vanes next to the sidepods increasing in complexity over the course of the season, Mercedes has worked its way through numerous aerodynamic packages in this area so far this season. For the German Grand Prix this development has continued, and Mercedes has seemingly come up with a completely different design compared to the previous turning vane assemblies. Throughout the season, the team has run with four distinct turning vanes, all interlinked and ending at the final turning vane which loops around the top of the sidepod. Mercedes has now switched to something...

Giorgio Piola has been at the forefront of F1’s technical coverage throughout his career, helping to make the often complex sport easier to understand. In this series of articles, we’ll uncover the cars and components that have captured his imagination   Here we delve into the post-yuppie 1990s, when turbos were banned and we enjoyed a whole host of sounds from wonderfully high-revving V8s, V10s and V12s, as Williams, Benetton and McLaren ruled the roost.   Tyrrell 019 1990 Photo by: Giorgio Piola   The Tyrrell 019, while not the most successful, was actually one of the most important cars of the ’90s. It was the first car to employ a high nose, as Jean-Claude Migeot had discovered it would...

The Renault Formula 1 team has brought a number of new upgrades for the French Grand Prix as it aims to draw clear of the competitive midfield order On the back of its best result of the season so far – claiming sixth and seventh in Canada – Renault has brought a new front end and new floor to Paul Ricard, along with a selection of other new parts. Renault R.S. 19 front wing detail Photo by: Giorgio Piola   In Giorgio Piola’s photograph of the new Renault nose (above), the mounting pylons have been extended further back to include a ‘cape’ section, which assists in limiting any lift produced by the front. By creating a longer path for the...

Mercedes has made no secret of the fact that one of the biggest gains it has made with its car this year has been in its low-speed corner performance.   Valtteri Bottas admitted as much in Montreal on Thursday when he said that the car’s rotation in such turns was a huge performance and confidence boost. “It feels like it rotates well,” said the Finn about the W10. “It is clearly a big improvement since last year or the year before. We saw in some of the slow-speed corners we were not the best but now we have made huge steps and definitely, the front end of the car is a lot better on the entry. “It means you can...

Legendary technical illustrator Giorgio Piola drew all of the key cars of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda, who has passed away aged 70. Here are his best illustrations of some fantastic machinery, as driven by the legend himself     March 721 March 721 1972 detailed overview Photo by: Giorgio Piola   Development of the first car Niki Lauda drove in Formula 1, the March 721 retained the lozenge-shaped front end and the madcap "tea-tray" wing, but didn't live up to the success of the preceding 711 chassis. After two races, the 'X' specification of car was rolled out with a transverse gearbox, but the package proved unsuccessful - instead, the 721G was ushered out of the factory...