Qualifying in Monaco last Saturday saw 0.7s knocked off the qualifying record of 2018, this despite more restrictive aerodynamic regulations in force this season. This is not a new phenomenon in that the teams are always finding better solutions based upon experience and research. But one specific factor in this instance could well be the innovations in front suspension geometry that are allowing teams to increase the rake of the car at the sort of high steering angles required on the low-speed corners that typically induce understeer in an F1 car.

Allowing the nose to dip down when the steering is on a lot of lock will increase the downforce generated by the front wing and nose by inducing more ground effect. This is the term describing the disproportionate change in air pressure on the underside of a surface as it is brought close to the ground.

To explain: As the air is forced through a smaller aperture, so its speed increases (until it stalls), creating a bigger pressure difference between the top and bottom of the surface and therefore – in the case of an F1 car’s wing elements – more downforce.

An F1 car will typically understeer more on slow corners than quicker ones. Apart from the fact that there is less downforce acting upon the front at low speeds to help the tyres build up load as they are steered, the tyre’s contact patch is being asked to do more twisting on high lock to help turn the car.