McLaren MCL36

[SmallSoldier]

Load transfer accounts for only around 10-15% of the load of the rear (driven) wheels. Most of the load is from the static weight load.

Shifting weight rearwards will typically induce a reduction in transient stability and a loss of understeer.

Could you elaborate a bit more please? Trying to figure it out since in my mind it always worked the other way, wouldn’t transferring weight rearwards induce understeer by making the front lighter (therefore reducing grip)… Trying to understand/learn the concept.

Thanks!

Aero loading makes it difficult to determine, the championship winning Renaults (during the Alonso years) had a pronounced rear weight bias, they seemed to work okay.

As everything in F1, it’s all about compromises and how the package works as a whole… The RBR seemed to be “light at the rear”, therefore very pointy and really good at changing directions, but with a very nervous (lively) rear end that was prone to oversteer.

That’s what I love about F1, there is always more than one way to get speed… I’m just trying to understand the concepts a little better.

I wonder how much (if any) ballast the teams use to reach minimum weight

[Tim.Wright]

Could you elaborate a bit more please? Trying to figure it out since in my mind it always worked the other way, wouldn’t transferring weight rearwards induce understeer by making the front lighter (therefore reducing grip)… Trying to understand/learn the concept.

I think you are mixing up load transfer with a physical change to the CG position.

Moving the CG to the rear will reduce the front axle load (lighter front) but tyre load sensitivity actually results in that increasing your front axle grip (and deteriorating the rear axle grip). Don't forget also, that reducing the axle load also means that the tyres tyres have to accelerate less mass around a corner.

[SmallSoldier]

Could you elaborate a bit more please? Trying to figure it out since in my mind it always worked the other way, wouldn’t transferring weight rearwards induce understeer by making the front lighter (therefore reducing grip)… Trying to understand/learn the concept.

I think you are mixing up load transfer with a physical change to the CG position.

Moving the CG to the rear will reduce the front axle load (lighter front) but tyre load sensitivity actually results in that increasing your front axle grip (and deteriorating the rear axle grip). Don't forget also, that reducing the axle load also means that the tyres tyres have to accelerate less mass around a corner.

Thank you Tim… I’m going to do a bit more research, really interesting how it works… Trying to learn

[SmallSoldier]

Posted this pic in the W13 thread, from @firatkeskinf1

Apparently the MCL36 has the longest wheelbase (with Ferrari… Red Bull maybe too?)

Interesting that compared to Mercedes who seems to have changed their approach… And yes, it’s using the renders, so it may not match reality, but wanted to share:

[NtsParadize]

Posted this pic in the W13 thread, from @firatkeskinf1

Apparently the MCL36 has the longest wheelbase (with Ferrari… Red Bull maybe too?)

Interesting that compared to Mercedes who seems to have changed their approach… And yes, it’s using the renders, so it may not match reality, but wanted to share:

https://i.imgur.com/RFUUT7K.jpg

You should have taken the actual car instead of the render.

[motobaleno]

the render is minor problem here
the zoom of the cars is different. Mercedes one is macroscopically different

[SmallSoldier]

the render is minor problem here
the zoom of the cars is different. Mercedes one is macroscopically different

And it’s the render… Which we know for example is showing completely different sidepods

[FittingMechanics]

It looks to me like the differences shown there are much larger than they can be (due to rules). Aston looks super short, same for Mercedes.

I really doubt it is true. Just eyeballing it Aston is shorter than the others.

[Marc.W]

The render for the McLaren also has an asymmetrical wheel base

[Lachstar]

Long time lurker and very infrequent poster...

I have been told that today we will see new front wing, sidepods and sides of the floor.
The car at launch was a 4 month old development model and from the numbers they are seeing if correlation is accurate then the car will be very very quick!

Bring on the shakedown today!

[Emag]

Long time lurker and very infrequent poster...

I have been told that today we will see new front wing, sidepods and sides of the floor.
The car at launch was a 4 month old development model and from the numbers they are seeing if correlation is accurate then the car will be very very quick!

Bring on the shakedown today!

Apologies for doubting, but is there a source on this information?

[FittingMechanics]

Long time lurker and very infrequent poster...

I have been told that today we will see new front wing, sidepods and sides of the floor.
The car at launch was a 4 month old development model and from the numbers they are seeing if correlation is accurate then the car will be very very quick!

Bring on the shakedown today!

Are you saying the physical car in the studio was a 4 month old development model? Why would they physically make such an old car? Or are you saying the renders are 4 month old development model, that I could understand.

I expect car to look more or less like the car in the studio.

[Lachstar]

Long time lurker and very infrequent poster...

I have been told that today we will see new front wing, sidepods and sides of the floor.
The car at launch was a 4 month old development model and from the numbers they are seeing if correlation is accurate then the car will be very very quick!

Bring on the shakedown today!

Apologies for doubting, but is there a source on this information?

Yep an ex mechanic at force india at work who has connections in McLarens aero department.

[Marc.W]

Long time lurker and very infrequent poster...

I have been told that today we will see new front wing, sidepods and sides of the floor.
The car at launch was a 4 month old development model and from the numbers they are seeing if correlation is accurate then the car will be very very quick!

Bring on the shakedown today!

Are you saying the physical car in the studio was a 4 month old development model? Why would they physically make such an old car? Or are you saying the renders are 4 month old development model, that I could understand.

I expect car to look more or less like the car in the studio.

Yeah I'm skeptical myself, why show such an outdated car but cover up what seems to be a floor that you plan on using instead of just creating some generic floor if you went to that much bother to create full scale development parts

[Nicktendo86]

Long time lurker and very infrequent poster...

I have been told that today we will see new front wing, sidepods and sides of the floor.
The car at launch was a 4 month old development model and from the numbers they are seeing if correlation is accurate then the car will be very very quick!

Bring on the shakedown today!

Apologies for doubting, but is there a source on this information?

Yep an ex mechanic at force india at work who has connections in McLarens aero department.

Hope you are not full of it but will remain sceptical