The under-nose ‘cape’ is now less of a trend and more of a staple of Formula 1 car design in 2019. With Alfa Romeo recently joining the growing stable of teams to run the aerodynamic appendage – that takes the tally to over half of the grid.
It’s not exactly a new idea, just a reimagining of a device we’ve seen before, with the previous incarnation rising to prominence with Williams in 2009 and McLaren in 2010 (illustrated below, click on the arrows to scroll between them).
The then-named ‘snowplough’ device looked to maximise flow performance from the high nose solution that the prevailing regulations permitted.
Mercedes takes the "Super Ted" route
It was Mercedes, in 2017, that then reimagined this solution, with members of the team reportedly naming it “Super Ted’s cape” given its similarity to the childhood TV character when viewed from beneath.
With the narrowest nose on the grid, the team has been able to stretch the device out and utilise an airflow defining profile either side of the main structure in order to capture and nurture the airflow that passes by.
Here's how the concept was revisited and refined by Mercedes in 2017...