Honda's 2005 engine was one of the most powerful on the grid. That looked to have changed with their 2006 V8, which early in the season displayed lacklustre performance, with a definite lack of torque and acceleration. However, as is tradition with the Japanese maker, the engine was developed at...
A small, but interesting modification for Japan is these small cooling vents placed in the area close to the exhaust pipes on the Honda. These provide better extraction of hot air from the sidepods, caused by the high pressure of the exhaust gases. Furthermore they actually increase the speed of ...
Hungary sees Honda's sixth major front wing revision. As the illustration shows, it is very different from the previous design introduced at Magny-Cours, which has a very different layout to the Hungaroring. The wing now sports a much squarer central spoon profile coupled to a wider flap, to produce...
After the developments seen in North America, Honda sported a completely revised front wing at the next round in France, with a design seemingly following recent trends set by Williams and McLaren. The two additional profiles (upper arrows) are very similar in shape to those on the Williams, with...
Honda have tried two configurations at Indianapolis, a low-downforce one giving more straight-line speed on the main straight, and a high-downforce one providing more grip in the twisty infield section. The low-downforce version features a deep but smooth curved spoon profile at its centre, together...
An interesting change for Canada, which was tested extensively at Monza just prior to the race. The wing's dramatically curved main profile is much lower in the centre than at its extremities. This increases airflow pressure in the middle of the wing, while simultaneously improving airflow...
This area of the Honda is continually being revised. In Montreal the 'shields' in front of the sidepods are dramatically larger, longer and higher. These elements seem able to provide better airflow management in this area of the car, with the Renault featuring a similar device here. The car's...
An interesting change for Europe is the addition of these unusual fins, or 'ears', (1) just in front of the Honda's cockpit. They extend as far back as the mirrors and are designed to better manage the airflow close to the chassis. They help to cleanly separate the upper airflow (passing over the...
An interesting change for San Marino. The base of the spoon at the centre of the main profile is flat. The profile then tapers sharply upwards away from the nosecone before flattening out. There is then an additional upward step before it flattens again as it joins the endplate. This design has...
The new Honda is clearly an evolution of last year's BAR, but with everything pushed to the limit. Aerodynamically, the main concepts from 2005 have been retained and refined. In front of the sidepods, the most striking feature is the large winglet (1), featuring a boomerang-shaped endplate...
The rear end of the new Honda features a much cleaner design than its predecessor. The area around the exhaust is narrower (3) and has lost the previous large vertical fences (these sat inside the rear wheels, connected to the side flip-ups). Small venting gills (1) in front of the exhausts help to...
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