Mercedes W14

[Vanja #66]

This is along the lines of something that I was saying last year; their radiator position had the bottom edge very low (significantly below the lower SIS structure), this held back some of the potential to ‘fix’ a big driver of their floor issue (height and location of the throat section). Something that would require a fairly significant chassis change (difficult to achieve in the BC era).

At this point in the season nobody knows who has hit the sweet-spot, but the teams will all think that have something good to work with!!

Agreed, looks like both Ferrari and Merc designed their cars to give them bigger options in this area. Hard to expect RB won't do the same.

[PlatinumZealot]

Mercedes use the sheer bulk of medium pressure air running between the nose and wheels to fill the void where the side pod would be. This bulk air discourages the front wheel wake from coming towards the middle of the car. Rememeber now that there is an upwash tendendcy from front wing and when air hits the front of the radiator inlet. This tendency would move the frontal air uward and invite front wheel wake. That is where the dowashing side pod wing comes in. It keeps the volume near the side pods protected with a larg vortex and also "filled" with the front oncoming air.

Alpine and Aston Martin want a similar effect of keeping front wheel wake out of the centre of the car but do it with the big gutters on the top side pod. Bring frontal air into the space and use a barrier to keep front wheel wake out of it.

I think Mercedes method is really neat they do it without bulky bodywork.... But... The interesting part is what happens in the corners?

[Vanja #66]

Mercedes use the sheer bulk of medium pressure air running between the nose and wheels to fill the void where the side pod would be. This bulk air discourages the front wheel wake from coming towards the middle of the car. Rememeber now that there is an upwash tendendcy from front wing and when air hits the front of the radiator inlet. This tendency would move the frontal air uward and invite front wheel wake. That is where the dowashing side pod wing comes in. It keeps the volume near the side pods protected with a larg vortex and also "filled" with the front oncoming air.

I am preparing a W14 sidepod model on base chassis like last year, so we will be able to have a slightly better understanding of major phenomena at play. I don't think I will do Ferrari and RB like last year, just the Merc. I might also try some smaller design changes to sidepods to see their immediate effect.

The only thing I can say from photos is that sidepod drag alone is lower beyond doubt (better overall inlet integration, smoother geometry beyond inlet etc), so the car drag is also lower for sure. Whether rear tyre drag management has improved with launch spec is unknown, only the team can testify on a detail like that.

[zioture]

Full video Filming Day Mercedes W14

[AR3-GP]

Mercedes use the sheer bulk of medium pressure air running between the nose and wheels to fill the void where the side pod would be. This bulk air discourages the front wheel wake from coming towards the middle of the car. Rememeber now that there is an upwash tendendcy from front wing and when air hits the front of the radiator inlet. This tendency would move the frontal air uward and invite front wheel wake. That is where the dowashing side pod wing comes in. It keeps the volume near the side pods protected with a larg vortex and also "filled" with the front oncoming air.

I am preparing a W14 sidepod model on base chassis like last year, so we will be able to have a slightly better understanding of major phenomena at play.

Fantastic.

[collindsilva]

Mercedes use the sheer bulk of medium pressure air running between the nose and wheels to fill the void where the side pod would be. This bulk air discourages the front wheel wake from coming towards the middle of the car. Rememeber now that there is an upwash tendendcy from front wing and when air hits the front of the radiator inlet. This tendency would move the frontal air uward and invite front wheel wake. That is where the dowashing side pod wing comes in. It keeps the volume near the side pods protected with a larg vortex and also "filled" with the front oncoming air.

I am preparing a W14 sidepod model on base chassis like last year, so we will be able to have a slightly better understanding of major phenomena at play. I don't think I will do Ferrari and RB like last year, just the Merc. I might also try some smaller design changes to sidepods to see their immediate effect.

The only thing I can say from photos is that sidepod drag alone is lower beyond doubt (better overall inlet integration, smoother geometry beyond inlet etc), so the car drag is also lower for sure. Whether rear tyre drag management has improved with launch spec is unknown, only the team can testify on a detail like that.

What about AMR, is it possible to provide some basic analysis on their design..

[Spoutnik]

Full video

[shady]

Cockpit moved rearward a bit. Perspective distortion is heavy on tyres, but that much is clear. Front wing endplates are still aligned completely so cockpit was definitely moved back.

Angles, and wheelbase and so on and so on, but...

Regardless, it looks like they have rearranged the entire car, I believe its to move components off of the floor in order to prioritize the geometry of the floor - throat height/diffuser height - Though I wonder how effective they can be without disturbing the CoG too much.

[Big Tea]

It would have nothing to do with Russell's extra 'length' would it?

[Andi76]

It's still not an ideal overlap, but...

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/eafbc59cf ... fd6a08.png

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/a59aaa9e2 ... 28045a.gif

I saw a tweet that the cockpit was moved by 20 cm. From these photos - I don't believe it IF the wheelbase is the same (some users stated so)

This is ideal. Its about 15 cm more to the front. It was said that too much rearward weight distribution also in relation to the CoP was the big problem of the W13.

[OO7]

It's still not an ideal overlap, but...

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/eafbc59cf ... fd6a08.png

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/a59aaa9e2 ... 28045a.gif

I saw a tweet that the cockpit was moved by 20 cm. From these photos - I don't believe it IF the wheelbase is the same (some users stated so)

This is ideal. Its about 15 cm more to the front. It was said that too much rearward weight distribution also in relation to the CoP was the big problem of the W13.

https://postimg.cc/D82CVjyD

The weight distro is pretty much fixed by regulation.

[AR3-GP]

It's still not an ideal overlap, but...

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/eafbc59cf ... fd6a08.png

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/a59aaa9e2 ... 28045a.gif

I saw a tweet that the cockpit was moved by 20 cm. From these photos - I don't believe it IF the wheelbase is the same (some users stated so)

This is ideal. Its about 15 cm more to the front. It was said that too much rearward weight distribution also in relation to the CoP was the big problem of the W13.

https://postimg.cc/D82CVjyD

The weight distro is pretty much fixed by regulation.

Correct:



- Article 4.2, '23 Technical Regulations.

[Vanja #66]

https://i.imgur.com/kDhgm4a.jpg

Angles, and wheelbase and so on and so on, but...

Regardless, it looks like they have rearranged the entire car, I believe its to move components off of the floor in order to prioritize the geometry of the floor - throat height/diffuser height - Though I wonder how effective they can be without disturbing the CoG too much.

This is ideal. Its about 15 cm more to the front. It was said that too much rearward weight distribution also in relation to the CoP was the big problem of the W13.

Lens distortion is way too big, both wings have a very weird position and geometry, as I've already commented. wogx' analysis is the best, since it used photos and not renders.

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/stat ... 21571?s=20

Didn't really take render fisheye distortion and different perspectives "lens" axes into account...

[Andi76]

It's still not an ideal overlap, but...

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/eafbc59cf ... fd6a08.png

https://wykop.pl/cdn/c3201142/a59aaa9e2 ... 28045a.gif

I saw a tweet that the cockpit was moved by 20 cm. From these photos - I don't believe it IF the wheelbase is the same (some users stated so)

This is ideal. Its about 15 cm more to the front. It was said that too much rearward weight distribution also in relation to the CoP was the big problem of the W13.

https://postimg.cc/D82CVjyD

The weight distro is pretty much fixed by regulation.

You say it - pretty much. But not fixed. There is still a window of 12 kgs to play with. 12 kg too much at the front or rear can definitely make a difference in race cars, especially in connection with the CoP. I have seen many comparisons and in my opinion they definetely changed the weight distribution by transferring the driver position to the front. And when I see ten comparisons ( lens distortion or not, because this can be the case with each of these comparison photos) that show the driver position is further forward and only one where it looks the same as last year - I tend to think that one is wrong and not the ten others. Just as little is a reason that Mercedes over many years has always tried to keep the driver and sidepods as far away from the front wheels as possible. Just because they have done that in the past doesn't mean it always has to be that way. Especially since last year two cars were better that had a shorter distance. And if the rumors are true that the problem with the W13 was too much weight in the rear - then it is only a logical and necessary step.

[prox]

Another tweet about W14 porpoising, but it's disputable for me:

Has the nightmare of Mercedes engineers called porpoising returned? This may be indicated by the recordings from the W14 cockpit shared by the team after yesterday's film day: #F1pl #EchaPadoku

This definetely is not porpoising. This is a hard-sprung F1 ground effect car - that's what it looks like when it goes over bumps and the like! But that has nothing to do with porpoising.I also don't think any car will have a problem with porpoising.

I dont think so, I just watched Hamiltons 2020 pole lap at Silverstone, head was nodding due to undulations in the track surface and this was too the same extent as Russells head moving.