Car

Pushrod vs pullrod: How F1 teams have tackled the suspension puzzle in 2024

March 31, 2024

by Rosario Giuliana

5min read

Ferrari and Red Bull at the 2024 Saudi Arabian GP

Just as the Formula 1 powertrain gained a renewed and perhaps more consequential role with the dawn of the turbo-hybrid in 2014, the ground effect era changed teams’ focus to different areas of the car in 2022. Now the focus is on the movement of the car through various phases and the greater effect the downforce that the floor can generate.

A new set of regulations for 2022 brought ground effect to the fore once again

The key might lie in whether teams pursue pullrod or pushrod suspension. Pullrod suspension is used to describe a suspension set-up in which, when a car goes over a bump, the suspension link pulls the torsion spring in the middle of the car. Conversely, pushrod suspension is used to describe a set-up in which the suspension link pushes the torsion spring when a car goes over a bump.

To maintain the downforce-producing vacuum generated by the floor of an F1 car, that floor needs to be kept at a consistent height relative to the ground in different conditions such as acceleration, steering or braking.

Under braking, inertia causes a transfer of forces to the front of the car, which lowers the front end toward the ground. Conversely, under acceleration, the transfer of forces shifts back and lowers the floor. In cornering, the load shifts opposite to the direction of cornering.

As teams tackle these issues, a variety of solutions are visible on the F1 grid.

Does pullrod vs pushrod matter at the front of the car?

Red Bull was one of the first to interpret the new technical rules by building mechanics to make the car stable under various dynamic conditions. Front suspension has not been a significant area of change for Red Bull since 2022, with the RB19 and RB20 maintaining essentially the same winning design on aerodynamics and tyre management.

Whether it's pushrod or pullrod, as far as the front suspension is concerned, it doesn't matter so much, since from a performance point of view they are equivalent.

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<div>Pullrod suspension (L) compared to pushrod suspension (R)<br></div>

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Mercedes moved its anti-dive suspension link lower on the final day of 2024 F1 pre-season testing

What changes are the kinematics and the centre of gravity, with pullrod having the damping elements at the lowest part of the chassis – making it more difficult to apply set-up changes at the front of the car.

McLaren also used front pullrod suspension in 2022. Red Bull however made an unprecedented move by putting the highest suspension link at the top edge of the chassis, and the rear suspension link much lower.

McLaren’s former technical director James Key has always been a proponent of pullrod front suspension on cars with venturi tunnels. He was at McLaren when the 2022 MCL36 was launched.

On the front suspension, there is no clear winning trend between pullrod and pushrod, but it’s the link design that has proved the biggest performance differentiator.

With the W15, Mercedes exhibited something ingenious in 2024 pre-season testing – with a height-adjustable anti-dive link. It tried two versions of the suspension layout in Bahrain. Whether this is a fruitful venture remains to be seen – but it is most likely that the version with the lower suspension link will be used more often.

Ferrari bucks the rear suspension trend

While there is no clear aerodynamic advantage between pushrod and pullrod suspension at the front of the car, it’s a different situation at the rear of the car.

This season, various solutions are visible on the rear of the cars as teams attempt to increase the anti-lift and anti-squat effects.

The 2024 Ferrari SF-24 has a pushrod set-up at the front and a pullrod set-up at the rear

Every suspension manufacturer has opted for pushrod at the rear of their cars, except Ferrari. In 2023, Alpine and Sauber switched from pullrod to pushrod, and Mercedes followed suit in 2024.

Aston Martin, which buys transferable suspension parts from Mercedes, has also adopted pushrod. Still, Williams preferred to retain the 2023 Mercedes rear suspension – as the Grove team began work on its 2024 car early in 2023.

Haas uses transferable parts from Ferrari, including suspension, which is why it also uses rear pullrod suspension.

The prevailing trend at the rears of the 2024 cars is pushrod – and the reasons are clear.

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The Williams FW46 (R) uses pullrod suspension at its rear, while the Mercedes W15 (L) uses pushrod suspension

Ferrari may have retained its pullrod set-up for 2024, but its suspension layout has changed a lot this year – evident when looking at the wishbones – to enhance the anti-squat effect. In Maranello, this decision was also taken as the team felt it had made significant progress in developing and understanding last year’s car design. Changing suspension layout could have done away with a lot of that progress.

Will this be a limitation when it comes to Ferrari’s development of the rear part of the floor and the diffuser? It might not matter to Ferrari as it is likely to continue with the pullrod set-up this year and next year, before focusing on the incoming 2026 rule changes.

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