McLaren MCL36

[jjn9128]

It's interesting that both proper cars we've seen have pushed the "bib" rules to the limit in different ways.

[trinidefender]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

[jjn9128]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmfXMAE ... name=large

The hub will be inside the wheel drum - to get some kingpin inclination

[west52keep64]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmoXMAE ... name=large

I love this shot from Karun! Lots of carbon-fibre sheets covering up some details.
- Nose tip is far more sculpted than the render, blending into the front wing nicely.
- Front wing elements completely different from render, as we've already seen.
- Thin slot on the front wheel flow deflectors.
- Rear of the floor was clearly covered up.
- Front wing end slots covered up too, so assuming different from the render.
- Good angle of the bulges on top of the sidepods above Velo logo.
- Are they covering something up below where the halo joins the rear? Can make out some edges of possible slots?

Now we can see why the floor shape looked so strange, they are certainly hiding something! I doubt my original theory about using more of the floor as part of the venturi is accurate though.

[trinidefender]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmfXMAE ... name=large

The hub will be inside the wheel drum - to get some kingpin inclination

This should provide some ride height changes when turning shouldn't it? Or at least keep the car as a more level aero platform with more steering lock applied to counteract body roll?

[f1rules]

highlited a bit, they can do more at the front then i expected, especially the frontwheel cover, mclaren basicly merge it into a flowconditioner at the bottom?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large


and as mentioned we are basicly looking at a paper cover

[wowgr8]

I reckon the detail around the front bib/boat keel is key (badum-tsh). Basically they're funnelling air up through the gap to the base of the sidepod - which has an aggressive outward face. That pushes air to the edge of the floor where there will be a wing which is hidden in the launch photos.

What do you mean by wing in this context? Do you have a picture on an older car or such?

[f1rules]

the bold part, very interesting, i thought about it also. if you could actually turn the sidepod curve into a two purpose component, but i was thinking more that the flow would stay attached at low speed and at higher speeds it would detach/separate aiding the floor more?

What I am struggling to understand about this car, is how the tire wake is managed.

Haas uses the front part of the sidepod to create a wall that pushes the dirty air away, and they are sloped to guide the cleaner air on the right down towards the diffuser.

Aston uses their entire sidepods to create a shield from the wake, with a massive undercut below to provide clean air to the diffuser.

McLaren does seemingly nothing?! to push the tire wake away from the car. No bargeboards there to help, and can't see many clever vortices that can help that much.

This is what's concerning me now, but surely the engineers who developed the concept know better than some totally unqualified enthusiast.

I reckon the detail around the front bib/boat keel is key (badum-tsh). Basically they're funnelling air up through the gap to the base of the sidepod - which has an aggressive outward face. That pushes air to the edge of the floor where there will be a wing which is hidden in the launch photos.

Although it doesn’t look as spectacular, a bit of ‘back-of-fag-packet’ CFD makes me think that the McLaren choice here has the potential to be a stroke of genius. A large (mostly contained) ‘tea-tray’ - really good for high pressure generation on the top surface, that will ‘exhaust’ into the front of the (non-undercut) side-pod inlet. After this it can go two ways, at low speeds pushing/flowing outwards across the floor side-fence, assisting with extraction from the outer part of the tunnel (maybe why there is very little detail of strakes and floor edge); at high speeds with a greater mass flow around the pods this exhaust flow from the bib area will likely utilise the Coanda effect and ‘stick’ to the base radius of the side-pod (the underfloor inlet will not need the assistance at speed), this flow will then continue to the rear of the car.

Moving to pushrod rear suspension will have allowed them to de-bulk the lower portion of gearbox/bell-housing, allowing for less constrained tunnels, the pushrod appears to have quite a forward sweep to it (much like rear pull-rods have done for a few years), meaning the suspension systems are likely to within the bell-housing structure rather than gearbox mounted.

Clever stuff McLaren!

And very difficult to simulate/test and copy within the constraints of the budget cap and aero testing/CFD cap.

[Blackout]

highlited a bit, they can do more at the front then i expected, especially the frontwheel cover, mclaren basicly merge it into a flowconditioner at the bottom?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large

and as mentioned we are basicly looking at a paper cover
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZ0ln4XoAI ... name=small

That part is standard

[timbo]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmfXMAE ... name=large

Oh, this front wing is totally different from the render!

[bauc]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmfXMAE ... name=large

Oh, this front wing is totally different from the render!

If definitively does, the first section of the front wing is so deep and the nose tip is different as well

[f1rules]

i see, ok thank you, so the red part almost spoon shape, is same for all?

highlited a bit, they can do more at the front then i expected, especially the frontwheel cover, mclaren basicly merge it into a flowconditioner at the bottom?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large

and as mentioned we are basicly looking at a paper cover
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZ0ln4XoAI ... name=small

That part is standard

[Stu]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmfXMAE ... name=large

Oh, this front wing is totally different from the render!

And at the outside it really minimises the effect of the slots at the base of the end-plate. They are maximising outwash here.

[the EDGE]

As well as the front being a pullrod it is also a multi link setup with the lower arms connecting to the hub separately instead of as a wishbone.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLYeOmfXMAE ... name=large

Oh, this front wing is totally different from the render!

And at the outside it really minimises the effect of the slots at the base of the end-plate. They are maximising outwash here.

with very clever positioning of the flap adjuster to create a vortex to aid flow

[Blackout]

i see, ok thank you, so the red part almost spoon shape, is same for all?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLaB8j7X0AA ... name=large

highlited a bit, they can do more at the front then i expected, especially the frontwheel cover, mclaren basicly merge it into a flowconditioner at the bottom?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZzgrvXIAo ... name=large

and as mentioned we are basicly looking at a paper cover
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLZ0ln4XoAI ... name=small

That part is standard

Yes. The whole red part is standard AFAIK