Red Bull RB18

[Sieper]

Would it be possible to produce a similar comparison for the other (top teams) cars in their respective threads?

I put it in the comparison thread as an update to my older post.

Outstanding work! I will spent some time studying the analysis you did, thank you, I think I see that redbull opted to decouple right next to the nose, while Merc does the biggest decoupling somewhat inboard, where the wing is higher.

[clownfish]

I was looking at this pic from another thread, it's the internal floor stay from the RB18.



Obviously the tube above has some length adjustment but does anyone know what the purpose of the machined billet piece underneath is? Just looks quite complex is all...

[vorticism]

I was looking at this pic from another thread, it's the internal floor stay from the RB18.

https://i.postimg.cc/J7JdXgC7/XnnLnGwo.jpg

Obviously the tube above has some length adjustment but does anyone know what the purpose of the machined billet piece underneath is? Just looks quite complex is all...

That's a structural spar that supports the floor. IMO that's why they went with the wide sloped sidepod design--to have smooth bodywork over these robust floor supports. Which no other teams except maybe AT started the season with.

[Big Tea]

I was looking at this pic from another thread, it's the internal floor stay from the RB18.

https://i.postimg.cc/J7JdXgC7/XnnLnGwo.jpg

Obviously the tube above has some length adjustment but does anyone know what the purpose of the machined billet piece underneath is? Just looks quite complex is all...

Does that loo like it is intended to move? (more than just under adjustment)

[Sieper]

It does look a bit like a miniature shock absorber.

[TimW]

It does look a bit like a miniature shock absorber.

Looks like a turnbuckle, and that is also what you would expect to be there.

[chrisc90]

Could be a turnbuckle to alter height of the floor for fine tuning any downforce at the rear.

[Big Tea]

It does look a bit like a miniature shock absorber.

I mean more the way the metal carrier is mounted. It looks like it pivots, and what is the slot* in the 'arm'?
I know it would have to move when the rod is adjusted, but it seems elaborate to just be for an occasional adjustment when you consider cost and weight.
Difficult to see how the inner point is mounted though

Edit * Actually now I see it on a larger screen it may be a label rather than a slot. must get my eyes tested.

[PlatinumZealot]

RB has been very inactive on the front wing. I expect (and hope) now they have optimised a lot on the back and middle of the car to see a major front wing update. The time is about right to react on the MB front wing.

Where you make downforce on the front wing affect the front wheel wake and will dictate the bargeboard shape and so on.

RedBull bargboard and side pod philosophy likely do not need that wide outwash from the front wing. And they don't need the Mercedes solution.

[vorticism]

Unless this is pitch under braking numerous fotos show slight rake angle.

[AR3-GP]

RB has been very inactive on the front wing. I expect (and hope) now they have optimised a lot on the back and middle of the car to see a major front wing update. The time is about right to react on the MB front wing.

Where you make downforce on the front wing affect the front wheel wake and will dictate the bargeboard shape and so on.

RedBull bargboard and side pod philosophy likely do not need that wide outwash from the front wing. And they don't need the Mercedes solution.

How do you know all this?

[PlatinumZealot]

RB has been very inactive on the front wing. I expect (and hope) now they have optimised a lot on the back and middle of the car to see a major front wing update. The time is about right to react on the MB front wing.

Where you make downforce on the front wing affect the front wheel wake and will dictate the bargeboard shape and so on.

RedBull bargboard and side pod philosophy likely do not need that wide outwash from the front wing. And they don't need the Mercedes solution.

How do you know all this?

Observation of F1 over the years.

You can load towards the inside of the frront wing (Ferrari RedBull) or load more outward (Mercedes).

If You load inside more there will be more upwash to the centre of the car.

If you load the outside more.. Not as much to the centre. This also means there is a stronger tip vortex.

The flow is straighter if you more evenly load the centre of the wing like ferrari /redbull. They don't need the agressive turning vanes on the side of the chassis like mercedes and thet barge board vanes don't need to poke foward to straighten that curvature. They also don't have a strong vortex at the wing tip. They don't have to worry about bleeding off the drag here.


The Mercedes wing has a tighter more outward loading. So wingtip vortext is stronger. Flow near the chassis don't move upward as high but it gets pulled outward more. This is why you see the barge bord vanes poking out the front.

It's just two different philosophies.

[Zynerji]

It does look a bit like a miniature shock absorber.

Looks like a turnbuckle, and that is also what you would expect to be there.

The fact that the length on the female connector is longer than the exposed threads on the rose joint gives credence to a hydraulic compnent...

[Stu]

….or an encapsulated spring?

[TimW]

It does look a bit like a miniature shock absorber.

Looks like a turnbuckle, and that is also what you would expect to be there.

The fact that the length on the female connector is longer than the exposed threads on the rose joint gives credence to a hydraulic compnent...

When you tighten a turnbuckle the thread disappears. A fully tightened turnbuckle will have no threads exposed.

But given that the turnbuckle has threads on both sides(right handed one side, left handed on the other) and you also need a length of thread engaged in the nut on both sides, this is probably near its maximum extension.