As soon as the R.S.17 was unveiled there were complaints from Renault’s rivals about their rear-wing, more specifically the central mounting pylon.
It isn’t a huge deal, and to be honest the other teams flagged it just for the sake of it, but the pylon used to connect to the DRS actuator pod (see inset above), which contravenes the part of the rules that state that the DRS system must be structurally and aerodynamically isolated. Choosing to merge the pylon with the pod in this manner is slightly advantageous as it does not intersect with the main plane of the rear-wing itself, thus making the wing more efficient.
Cheekily, the new version of the pylon merely connects to the DRS pod’s tower bracket, the pod now sleeker in shape and carrying a revised hinge. This was probably done as an ‘up yours’ gesture to the other teams because the updated design will have little-to-no impact on performance in that region.
Renault also tested an overlarge upper flap on the rear wing, which will have increased rear downforce at the cost of some drag. Although the flap’s dimensions meant that it would actually be illegal to race, teams are allowed to test whatever they like – the large flap shows that the team are expecting to gain some rear downforce in the future and are assessing how the extra performance has an impact on other aspects of the car.
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