Räikkönen & Giovinazzi Help Tune The 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm:
F1 Drivers Push The New GTAm To Its Limits At Balocco...
Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi, from the Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN F1 team, took part in a day of testing of the new Alfa Romeo super sports sedans, the Giulia GTA and GTAm. The testing took place on the famous Balocco Proving Grounds, where all Alfa Romeo sports cars have undergone development since the 1960s. The test secession allowed the F1 drivers to push the cars to their limit and provide real-time feedback. The information and preparation sessions were held in the workshop of “Autodelta”, Alfa Romeo’s historic racing department.
Show in the video below at Balocco, the historic circuit known as the “Alfa Romeo Track”, world champion Räikkönen and young Italian star Giovinazzi worked closely with the engineers, focusing on specific technical suggestions to optimize aerodynamics. and the handling of cars. To complete the fine-tuning of both the GTA and GTAm, the F1 drivers analyzed the changes made to the car and reported their impressions on the track, resulting in a joint evaluation of the effects on the vehicle’s dynamics.
Giovinazzi offered advice on the configuration of the car, paying particular attention to the new carbon fiber components and the new technical solution adopted for the single-nut wheels, the final design of which will recall the traditional Alfa Romeo five grooves, as seen previously in the GTAm concept. “It’s great to see the improvements we made to the cars today,” said Antonio Giovinazzi at the end of the test session.
In contrast, Räikkönen worked with the aerodynamics department on the new appendages added both at the front and at the rear; a new adjustable diffuser integrated into the front fascia, as well as the new manually adjustable spoiler. He also examined the overall balance provided by the interaction of these new components with the exhaust fan and the airflow at the bottom. “I find that they are a perfect combination for both daily use and on the track,” said Kimi.
Alfa Romeo entrusted Sauber Engineering with the production of most of the carbon components in the GTA and GTAm, especially those with an aerodynamic impact. These include the new front fascia, side skirts, extractor, GTA spoiler, as well as the exclusive GTAm aero-wing. The Giulia GTAm by virtue of its manually adjustable front and rear spoilers can adapt its aerodynamic performance to any type of track or road, precisely following the requests and preferences of the driver.
The wind tunnel aerodynamic research was not limited to the wing appendages but also extended to the underbody, which, like the Giulia QV, is fully clad. The GTA and GTAm also benefit from a new special diffuser capable of increasing the car’s ground effect, thus guaranteeing excellent grip at high speeds. In the Giulia GTAm, the high downforce configuration is capable of offering an impressive coefficient of lift 2-times more than the GTA and 3-times more than the standard Giulia QV, which was already a benchmark in its class.
The Giulia GTA project benefits from the long-standing partnership with Sauber Group AG and leverages the knowledge of its Engineering and Aerodynamics divisions.
The Sauber Group has 50 years of motorsport experience, including 27 in F1. Therefore, it has accumulated invaluable experience in the design and use of carbon fiber, as well as in-depth knowledge of aerodynamics at the highest level. performance. Sauber is one of the few F1 teams with its own wind tunnel. The facility, located in Hinwil, Switzerland, is one of the most advanced in Europe, as it is equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The benefits of this collaboration range from engineering, rapid prototyping, and ultimately the production of these components.
Testing of the 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm at Balocco Image Gallery:
