These were orginally introduced by Renault in 2005 and retained on the R26. However, it was arguably Ferrari (left) who best interpreted the function of these additional wings, adding them in the latter part of the season, with notable modifications at Hockenheim, to improve the airflow management...
The area immediately in front of the sidepods was one of the most keenly-developed of the season, with the eponymous shields at the top, and a variety of turning-vane solutions at the bottom. Honda were arguably the pioneers here, but the design introduced by BMW Sauber (left) in Germany was among...
They may not have been as noticeable as the front wing revisions, but there were significant changes at the rear. At the start of the season Toyota's TF106 (left) featured multiple horizontal slits in the top edge of the endplates. The slits help reduce turbulence generated by the endplate profile...
Honda (right), or rather BAR, were the first team to introduce their distinctive 'shields' back in 2005. Designed to raise downforce and improve airflow to the rear of the car, they were developed significantly by the Japanese team in 2006, peaking in size at the Canadian Grand Prix. Renault (bottom...
This concept, which adds significant downforce but minimal drag, was originally introduced the previous season by world champions Renault (right) at the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix. They continued its development into 2006, peaking at the German race. Its design concept was copied by Ferrari (top...
The RS26 was the jewel in the Renault's crown. The basis for its design included all the things that were good about its V10 predecessor, the RS25, meaning the team weren't really starting from scratch, even if they were losing two cylinders. The concept was a reliable, fuel efficient engine, that...
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...
This engine displayed some worrying reliability problems right from the very start of last winter's early testing sessions. In fact, for much of January McLaren were obliged to run the MP4-21 in a hybrid configuration, using a modified version of the older V10. By the first race in Bahrain, the...
A controversial engine in many ways. In previous seasons the engine has always been a strong point of the Toyota package, but this year it wasn't always so. The TF106 had weaknesses in several areas and the engine was certainly among them. It reportedly lacked top-end power, usually running lower...
Designed by Gilles Simon under the supervision of Paolo Martinelli, this engine was conceived as a reliable starting point not just for the 2006 season, but also for 2007. It may have lost two cylinders, but the new V8 was no lighter than its V10 predecessor, as Ferrari focussed on strengthening the...
With the 2006 introduction of the 2.4 litre V8 rule, this engine was built from scratch, with its development then phased into three steps over the season. The aim was to start with a solid foundation and then gradually raise the revs. Specific figures for peak power and revs were not revealed, but...
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