TECH TUESDAY: Did Ferrari’s qualifying gamble on rear wing levels cost them a win in Las Vegas?

Wing levels played a crucial part in the Las Vegas battle between Red Bull and Ferrari last weekend – and both teams made several adjustments to their chosen downforce level as they tried to unlock the puzzle of how to beat the other.

Ferrari turned up with a low-downforce version of their spoon wing (with the cut-out in flap area behind the DRS mechanism to reduce drag), similar to that used in Spa. This wing carries significant surface area on its underside in the way it is contoured. The more surface area the underside has relative to the upper surface of the wing, the greater the downforce and drag.