Sauber are the first team to copy McLaren’s F-duct system which helps to stall the air flowing over the rear wing at high speed.
Once the FIA approved the system, it created a rush among competing teams to install a similar system. Many teams openly admitted they would copy McLaren.
The Sauber duct is different in the fact it is mounted on the sidepod. It’s unsure of how the duct is operated, whereas in the MP4-25, the driver can use his knee, in the C29, the driver doesn’t have access to the sidepod.
Pedro de la Rosa told Autosport he knew a little about the McLaren system, but insisted the Sauber copy was different.
“Yeah – I knew a little bit about what McLaren was trying, but this is a Sauber system. It is a different system.”
He also admitted he was yet to understand how it worked.
“Honestly, it is so new the system that I have to get in the car and check – where it is, how we do it! So we are in that phase now. I will know more later on today.”
Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis confessed that Ferrari were also working on their own F-duct system: “We are building a similar one, but we do not know if or when we will finish it,” he is quoted as saying by ESPNF1.com.
