The track will dictate a sentence and you will have to judge if the effort of Sauber deserves a reward, but what is undeniable is that the Hinwil have made a step forward with regard to 2016 in what the refinement of the car is concerned.
The new C36 is a single a lot more worked than the previous and not only as a consequence forced the change of regulations. That’s not to say that Sauber go to meet its goal to be established on regular basis in posts close to the points -because it is a goal really ambitious given the level of the grill-but at least it gives us some assurance that the swiss team will be in the fight and you will not be off the hook as he came to be in certain moments of the last season.
More short and aggressive
the first Thing that attracts attention in the new C36 is its length: 5,143 meters. Or put another way, seven inches shorter than its predecessor. provides for both greater agility in curves of medium and low speed -as the distance between the axles has also been reduced-something that, taking into account the considerable increase in downforce and overall width of the car (and tires), it falls within the logic to gain stability on fast corners without turning it into a single seater exceedingly clumsy at lower speeds-
The design in general is more aggressive on an aesthetic level thanks to a regulation that invited clearly to do this with elements such as the front wing at tip of arrow, the pontoons more stylized, the shark fin or the rear spoiler tilted, but without a doubt the greatest attention to detail of the team led technically by Jörg Zander has contributed to this.
front Spoiler, completely new
Starting from the front, the first thing that attracts attention is the nose, which although ends in the same way in 2016-as a direct consequence of the stability of the regulation in that field, and that Sauber already had one rather short, the rest changes.
For a start, it is much longer and -as a consequence – also thinner, providing a greater sense of agility and style. Obviously, the regulation has had an influence on this and Sauber have used it, modifying also the anchor of the front spoiler, now more in line with the bulb lower, new this year.
In regards to the front wing, the changes are also substantial, something logical in view of the profound regulatory change that has occurred in this area, particularly through widening of the tires and the spoiler. One of the premises of a front spoiler is get to provide the greater downforce as possible, but always in the most consistent possible.
as a general rule, the more flaps you have the spoiler, the more levels of charging will provide, but more complicated will be to get those levels to be constant. Sauber, as the Chief Designer, Jörg Zander has recognized, has wanted to give up on the amount to get quality and, in that sense, we can see how -at least in this first version-, the swiss have narrowed it down to three flaps side (1). In regard to the principal, Sauber has designed the mandatory arrow, and has chosen a design completely straight (2) at their ends, unlike last year.
The rest of elements (3) are aimed, mainly, to control the aerodynamic flow in the direction of the front tyre and suspension elements, with the inside edges of the flaps side (1) the most in relation with the bargeboard (4), this year has grown very considerably and also working in line with the aerodynamic flow flowing through the Y250 (5), so named for the distance in millimeters that it is not possible to place any element aerodynamic. Therein lies one of the keys for which it is important to have a nose as short as possible and, thus, allow the greatest possible air flow below the same to feed the keel, the splitter and other elements later.
Ending with the front wing, we also see a redesign of the endplates (6), that follow fulfilling its function of minimising the impact of the turbulence generated by the large front tire and so as to create a flow as clean as possible in the direction of the bottom of the pontoons.
Pontoons overworked
The change in the intermediate zone of the car has been remarkable this year, reducing measurably the body of the pontoons (1), they are now much thinner in its intermediate zone and the bottom, probably as a result of the minor internal demands in terms of cooling. This, along with the widening of the soil at 20 inches, makes this area become a great channel of power (2) to the diffuser, that this year is much bigger and that means that it generates a amount of downforce very top. Not only that, but that is one of the elements that the less drag it generates in relation to its capacity to provide such load. That is why it is vital that you are well-fed to work at 100% and in that respect, elements such as the bargeboard, or the splitter have more importance than it may seem. This year the first of them grows in size and, on the contrary, the second is shortened.
The side deflectors, for their part, are separated markedly from the pontoon in its vertical portion (3) to allow a lot more flow and are responsible, together with the horizontal part (4) on the pontoon, to control the turbulence from the front, and regenerate the aerodynamic flow to gain strength in the direction of the spoiler and the diffuser. at this point once again highlights the search of stability of the aerodynamic flow to try to get a car the more docile as possible.
you can Also observe how there is now much more free space in the area above the rear tire and under the suspensions, which also is now much more keeled than in 2016.
air intake divided and shark’s fin
The following remarkable element of the Sauber C36 is the new air intake, which this year lost the pillars lower and, as a counterpart, acquires a central pillar (1) divided into two the intake of the engine, leaving on both sides the smaller for the ERS (2). In addition, such a design is given for better work in line with the shark fin and the rear wing, which this year has broadened and, above all, it has gone down.
Immediately after appears the above-mentioned and bulky shark fin (3) worthy of the cars of 2010, at which time this element aerodynamic reached its peak. Its function is to provide stability to the aerodynamic flow that flows towards the rear wing, although in certain situations of lateral wind can cause the opposite in the behavior of the car.
The rear spoiler takes a look considerably more aggressive and effective, thus to the reduction of their overall height is joined by a widening considerable, which, together with the diffuser in line to make the cars of a huge increase of downforce at the rear. The endplates (1) also include a curvature, by regulation, to be wider even in its upper half and embracing the diffuser (2) in its lower half. The flat side of the aileron (or flap DRS) adopts a curvature center (4) to control the turbulence generated at the trailing edge and the support of the same has had to undergo a total re-design to adapt to the new position and dimensions of the rear spoiler.
In short, the Sauber C36 has raised the bar considerably with respect to the single-seater, 2016 and, although its success will largely depend on what the other teams have gotten with their cars, what is certain is that is a good example of the health of the team after two years of complications, both sporting and economic.
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