But while we may have to wait a few more days to see some of these new parts, the break at least gives us a chance to reflect on some interesting developments we’ve uncovered so far this season.

Here are a selection of the best technical images from the first five races of the year, courtesy of George Piola and Sutton images.

Alfa Romeo C43 technical details

photographer: George Piola

Bahrain: Alfa Romeo has adopted a solution pioneered by Mercedes in 2022 in Bahrain, with the Switzerland-based company looking to improve the flow structure at the front of the car and improve downstream performance.

Mercedes introduced its widebody chassis blister solution at last year’s British Grand Prix as part of a larger update package. This set of parts helped cushion some of the ill effects the Dolphins suffered in the first half of the season, but also helped the team unlock some of the latent potential of the W13.

Alpine A523 diffuser

photographer: George Piola

Bahrain: An interesting feature of the Alpine A523 is the engraving on the lower part of the tail end plate. The regulations for this area of ​​the end panels seem to prohibit various types of aerodynamic furniture that adorn this section. While not as effective as the wash-up columns the team has put here in the past, the swage lines that Alpine have incorporated into the end plates are a nice feature that provide a performance boost over regular-profile alternatives.

Mercedes W14 rear detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Saudi Arabia: Mercedes used a wing of this specification in Bahrain, but made some changes to better suit the requirements of the Jeddah street circuit, with cutouts removed from the upper rear corners of the end plates and filler plates replaced.

This is thanks to the design of the end plates, allowing the use of interchangeable panels. You’ll also notice how the tip portion of the end plate is trimmed off, rather than have a flat edge, to change the behavior of the wing.

Aston Martin AMR23 detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Saudi Arabia: Instead of introducing an all-new, track-specific rear wing, Aston Martin has modified it for Saudi Arabia, with the central section of the trailing edge of the upper flap trimmed to reduce downforce and drag.

Red Bull Racing RB19 Details

Photography: unconfirmed

Saudi Arabia: Here we can see the back end of the Red Bull RB19 not yet attached to the chassis. We can clearly see some of the inboard suspension elements, as well as the rear wing strut cage mounted on the crash structure. We can also see the passage of the exhaust pipes under the suspension elements, which are lined with a gold reflective coating.

Alfa Romeo Racing C43 Rear Detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Saudi Arabia: Alfa Romeo’s DRS pod has been revised compared to the Bahrain-spec version, as the mechanism’s smaller duct is located at the top rear of the main pod. At the same time, the flap pivots were changed to a more traditional barrel-shaped solution rather than the teardrop-shaped one we’ve seen on different configurations before.

AlphaTauri AT04 Details

Photography: unconfirmed

Saudi Arabia: Looking at the radiator and cooler layout on the AlphaTauri AT04, the team used a large saddle cooler, as they have for years. This allows it to optimize the internal layout of the sidepods.

A mechanic works on Max Verstappen’s car, the Red Bull Racing RB19

Photography: Lionel Ng / motorsport pictures

Australia: As the Red Bull RB19 is ready for action, we see views of the front brake components in various stages of construction, with the caliper fairing mounted on the left side of the car. In contrast, it is bare on the right. You’ll notice that the fairing also doesn’t close the central window at this stage, which is an option if the team wants to change the way heat moves between the various nests of the brake drums.

Small cooling tube fins can also be seen on the exposed calipers, as well as larger central vents that the team is using for 2023 to allow heat to escape from the brake discs through the calipers.

Williams FW45 Technical Details

Photography: unconfirmed

Australia: The front brake assembly on the Williams FW45, now with fairings surrounding the calipers and discs, is very similar to the design used by Red Bull in 2022.

Ferrari SF-23 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Australia: Ferrari’s calipers send cool air through two channels on either side of the fairing, while ports in the calipers and the central section of the fairing allow heat exhausted by holes drilled in the disc to move through the assembly. Ferrari also has a disc fairing this year, though it’s not shown in this image, although that does give us a glimpse of its X-shaped drilling pattern on the disc.

Mercedes W14 rear detail

photographer: George Piola

Australia: Through the skin of the Mercedes W14 we can glimpse the powerplant and its packaging. Note how the main exhaust pipe is routed on top of the rear suspension legs and where the main rear floor bracket is mounted, where it meets the body when it exists.

Alfa Romeo C43 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Australia: The complex interplay of Alfa Romeo C43 front wing flaps and end panels, with the rearmost two elements turned outwards and a large chunk of the lower part of the end panel removed entirely to encourage more outwash.

McLaren MCL60 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Australia: The flaps on the McLaren MCL60 are also turned outward to facilitate scouring. However, without the cutaway section at the lower rear of the endplate, it might lose power compared to some competitors.

Mercedes F1 W14 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Australia: Mercedes’ solutions for this area also try to compensate for some of the washout effects that the regulations are designed to reduce, including cutouts in the rear lower part of the end panels, split flaps and two rear wings.

Ferrari SF-23 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Australia: A closer look at the front wing and under the nose of the SF-23 reveals that these provisions greatly reduce surface complexity compared to the previous generation. Also, notice how the bottom of the outboard flap adjuster has a slat-like appearance.

Alfa Romeo pit garage detail

Photography: Simon Galloway/ motorsport pictures

Azerbaijan: As the mechanics get ready for action, the Alfa Romeo C43 looks great, with radiators and coolers stacked together inside the sidepods. Also, note its low-downforce rear wing, which has a shallow scoop-shaped main plan profile and sawn diagonally at the wingtips.

Haas F1 Team VF-23 Rear Spoiler

photographer: George Piola

Azerbaijan: Haas trimmed a large portion of the flaps on the back of its rear wing for the Baku to reduce drag and increase top speed.

Red Bull Racing RB19 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Azerbaijan: The metal bridge support of the center strut of the Red Bull RB19 rear wing also serves as a higher location for mounting the upper wishbones.

Alpine A523 front wing detail with sensors

photographer: George Piola

Azerbaijan: Alpine has a lower downforce option for the Baku front wing, with a large cutout in the middle of the upper flap.

AlphaTauri AT04 Technical Details

Photography: unconfirmed

Azerbaijan: The AlphaTauri’s downforce rear wing is scoop-shaped, with the upper flap dropping gradually at its trailing edge where it meets the tip section.

McLaren MCL60 detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Azerbaijan: The McLaren’s floor has an inner side strip that sits above the tide line on the leading edge, while raised sections below the sidepod undercuts help to better manage airflow above and below the surface. You’ll notice that the edges of the floor and the welts on the wings have been beveled to help reduce bowing.

McLaren MCL60 detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Azerbaijan: A close-up of the edge wings on the MCL60 floor, with the three blades angled to help protect them as the floor compresses towards the ground, while preventing them from flexing excessively.

Ferrari SF-23 rear detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Azerbaijan: Ferrari’s dual-element spar wing arrangement has a shorter chord element at the top, spanning the full span of the wing, while most teams typically attach the upper element to the top of the crash structure.

Mercedes W14 detail

Photography: unconfirmed

Azerbaijan: The edge of the floor of the Mercedes W14 has a number of smaller slats that will work in conjunction with the tips of the underfloor rails as they meander to that part of the floor. Also, notice how much the edge wing rolls up compared to the height of the front of the floor.

Alpine A523 Body Details

Photography: Alexander Trienitz / motorsport pictures

Miami: Looking down the side of the A523, we can also see the grooves dug into the upper surface of the sidepods, and the team chose to use interchangeable engine covers in Miami to provide more cooling.

Mercedes W14 diffuser

photographer: George Piola

Miami: Details of the rear end of the Mercedes W14, including the three-layer lower brake duct deflector introduced in Azerbaijan.

Aston Martin AMR23 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Miami: Aston Martin’s front brake duct design includes a crossover duct fitted with a guide vane to help control air flow over the face of the assembly.

Aston Martin AMR23 technical details

Photography: unconfirmed

Miami: Close-up of the AMR23’s inboard front suspension components, including the heave damper, and Belleville spring washers.

Red Bull Racing RB19 diffuser

photographer: George Piola

Miami: Looking at the rear of the Red Bull RB19, the team opted for only a single-spar wing element, which is common this season as it looks to reduce downforce and drag levels at each track.