Evolution Through the Season

Depending on the nature of the circuit - featuring long straights such as Monza or tight corners like Monaco - the engineers in the BMW Sauber F1 Team continue to develop the car throughout the course of the season. According to Willy Rampf, Technical Director of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, Aerodynamics played a central role in the development of the F1.07. The aim was to build a car with high aerodynamic efficiency, yet at the same time one that handled well through corners.
In Barcelona the engineers added an extra multi-piece wing to the rear crash element for the first time in order to increase downforce. A transitional version of the front wing was used for the roll-out. A lot of work is put into the endplates, in particular, with the goal of achieving high downforce even when turning in.

The tight corners in Monaco saw the team opt for a new front suspension package with modified geometry to allow a sharper turn-in angle. The short straights there mean the brakes hardly have any time to cool, and they therefore used brake ducts with a large inflow area.

The new rear wing with modified endplates was the key element in a medium-downforce package the team developed for Montréal and Indianapolis. They fitted this in combination with the extra single-piece wing on the rear crash element in order to achieve high efficiency. With the four long straights at Monza producing speeds of over 300 km/h, a low-downforce package with highly efficient wing combinations to keep drag low was used. Plus, several additional fins on the engine cover were removed, again in the interests of ensuring low drag. The rear wing for the high-speed Monza circuit differed fundamentally from other variants, as the main wing was shorter than the flap. In addition it was given a zigzag profile, which ensured both high efficiency and good airflow stability.

In Japan the engineers introduced a new version of the additional wing on the roll hoop for the first time. Its optimised form allowed improved air flow to the rear wing. "The aero elements on the F1.07 at the roll-out in Valencia - the engine cover, front and rear wings, turning vanes and underbody - changed completely over the course of the season", Willy Rampf explained.