TECH WEEKLY: Why a crucial Haas issue forced them to hastily modify their floor for Japan

Special ContributorMark Hughes
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The Haas team arrived in Japan with a hastily modified floor, but this was not a pre-planned part of the car’s development. Instead it was a reaction to severe aerodynamic oscillations suffered by the VF-25 in the opening race of the season, in Melbourne.

The fluctuation in downforce levels at high speed was seemingly triggered by bumps in the track surface. The cars were bouncing as the downforce acting upon the tyres at a certain speed range fluctuated wildly.