Monday 16 April 2012

China: Cottrell TC1

Cottrell GP bought a raft of new updates to China, which some seemed to of payed off, whereas as others; maybe not. The team is slowly gaining towards the front, and this weekend's podium looks to be the first of many for them this season. With a lot of promises in the pre-season, its fair to say the team were disappointed when it came to the season start. Nevertheless the R&D team have clearly been at work to correct the issues.


Front Wing
The front wing, hasn't changed too much from its original concepts. However great progress is beginning to be made, in an area that was once letting them down. At first, the wing appears impressive, ranking with the best in the field, however the wing profiles lack shape, and although a lot of strong vortexes are generated, the downforce isn't there with it.


Front Bodywork
The team have got rid of their slot on the nose step, which didn't seem to be offering them any benefits. Hopefully this new, strong step solution will be what the team need.


Main Bodywork
The main change in the bodywork, is the rear of the car, where it has been re-sculpted to fit the new exhausts. However a lot more changes have been made, including the introduction of sidepod fins to help condition the flow better from the front, as well as splitter changes, to help improve the efficiency of the floor. A slight change in the shape of the engine cover is apparent also, as it appears they are trying to improve their internal aerodynamics.


Rear & Diffuser
A new rear wing profile has been introduced, which is shallower than the previous iteration, perhaps to try and equalize the front downforce deficiency. They have also introduced slots in the  outer-side of the slot gap separators. The team have also announced diffuser updates, however the Cottrell Diffuser is notably difficult to capture view of.


Overall, the car is making vast improvements, and it doesn't seem to be too long until they will have a well balanced car, that the team can push right to the edge, and be competing for the podium more frequently. A win may certainly be possible this season with the current rate of development.