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Its this messy airflow teams try to keep away from the car with the pod fins. By placing them outboard the vertical inlet catches the turbulent airflow from the front wheel wakes. This allows the sidepods to cool efficiently and hence have smaller inlets for less drag. Typically teams place the inlet for the radiators as close inboard a possible, as this airflow is the cleanest and with the most energy. What the team have done is to shift the inlet for the radiators at the front of the sidepod as far outboard as possible, to allow a freer flow of air to the rear beam wing (the lower element between the tail lamp and the top rear wing). As with other design elements on the McLaren these are almost directly opposite to what the rest of the grid is doing. Termed “U” shaped by Technical Director Paddy Lowe, as the two “L” shaped individual inlets together form a “U”. With a lot of expectation around McLarens new car, the newly unveiled MP4-26 did indeed surprise with its sidepods. Airflow passes over the sidepod to the beam wing (yellow), while an undercut still directs flow the sidepod