Understanding the Differences Between the Heavily Discussed Sidepods on the 2022 F1 Challengers

One of the biggest fears that fans had this season was every team came with a similar car because of the strict rules and regulations. However, every F1 team found some unique ways to make themselves stand apart, even with the strict rules in place.

The pre-season testing at Barcelona and Bahrain showcased the potential of the designers and engineers of each team. They managed to come up with innovative designs for impressive performance. One of the most creative parts of the 2022 challengers was the sidepods. Because every team came up with some unique designs and some were even extremes.

Ferrari and Aston Martin F1 are on the same page

Both the Italian and the British constructors have a similar concept for their cars. This kind of structure helps the airflow channel from front to rear. Both the teams are on the same page but have added a bit of their own flavor too. Because Aston Martin went with low area sidepods for their AMR22, this acts as a corridor for the air to flow through.

Meanwhile, the Italian F1 team chose massive sidepods. But it got vents on the side that channel the air towards the beam wing, providing a more aerodynamic advantage to the Ferrari F175. The sidepods gave the Italian team a huge boost in the pre-season testing.

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Many fans even expect them to win the first race in Bahrain. Even Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton expects the Italians to win the first race. He said, “I really don’t know. I think Ferrari, from what I can see, today Ferrari would probably be getting a 1-2 or maybe Red Bull.”

Moreover, Alfa Romeo and Haas also went with some similar concepts to Ferrari and Aston Martin.

McLaren and Alpine F1 playing safe

While other teams are getting creative with their sidepod designs, McLaren and Alpine preferred to go with something similar to their 2021 design. The side design of the British and French constructors creates an air chute that redirects some air towards the diffuser. Furthermore, last year’s champion constructor, Mercedes, also had similar concepts when they came to Barcelona for pre-season testing.

Mercedes’ sidepods

The Brackley-based team initially had sidepod designs similar to their last year’s car. But Mercedes shocked everyone in Bahrain with their major sidepod upgrade. The German team opted for extremely tiny sidepods which are similar to ‘no sidepods’.

The ‘no sidepod’ approach makes the Mercedes W13 narrower. Although the Silver Arrow one-seater was already very narrow because of the compact power unit, the new sidebars have now made it narrower to improve aerodynamics. But it also raised doubts, some people even said the car was illegal. However, the controversial sidepods weren’t much help, as Mercedes had a terrible performance in the pre-season testing and still has enough room to improve W13.

Williams’ sidepods

The British F1 team also want to follow the Mercedes ideology and do something extreme. The sidepods of the Williams FW44 also ends as soon as it starts. But the thing which got the attention is the hole on the sidebar. This helps to grab the air from the front and throw it out of the vents in the back, improving the car’s performance.

Red Bull loving the new sidepods

The Milton Keynes team wanted to create proper downforce with their sidepods. But the sidepods weren’t much of help at the Barcelona testing. The results continued even in the Bahrain testing.

But on the last day of the Bahrain testing, Red Bull introduced slight changes to the RB18. The sidepods were more refined and structured, which allowed the car to increase the airflow in the upper part of the floor. These new structured upgrades were already fruitful and gave them domination on the last day.

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The 2022 season is just around the corner. Let’s see what other changes take place in the sidepods department. It will be fascinating to see how much more creative these teams can get with their cars.