Renault R30

[Blackout]

R30's diffuser :

(with a modified scrabs drawing)

[Blackout]

And I don't understand why the new and more aerodynamic mirrors disappeared... (old mirrors replaced them in the testing)

[Giblet]

The shape of the mirror pod looks about the same to me, although on a different angle and I can't tell if that is the photo's angle or not, but the overall shape looks the same.

The mount is different obviously, but so is the car, so it's all how it works (or doesn't) with the overall aero package.

[Blackout]

Yes I meant the mounts are aerodynamic...

[tk421]

We don't see any photo

heheh it worked in the 'preview,' thought it would work when i posted! it's the same photo that you posted highlighting the diffusor, only it shows the entire car

[Carlo's]

R30's diffuser :

(with a modified scrabs drawing)

Yes, this is better selection. R30 diffuser is pretty big, although there will be new one for Bahrain, same as there will be new floor, rear wing and front wing.

[Raptor22]

lets see how it goes this week. Testing starts in around 12hrs.

I'll be laughing all the way to the bank if come Bahrain, the Renault is quicker than the Ferrari. Alonso will be livid

[Raptor22]

everyone with a windtunnel uses flow-viz paint...its a key development tool. However most teams confine it to the windtunnel as any prying eyes will thank you very much for a public display like McLaren and Renault appear to be showing.

It's also used extensively in private tests and shakedowns, such as the straight line tests that the teams occasionally carry out.

After doing a bit of research online, Flo-vis paint comes as a transparent UV paint as well (& i'm told this is used by F1 teams as well).
I'm too lazy to try find it, but i distinctly remember a photo from 09's pre-season tests of a Williams crew member, with a UV light in his hand, closely observing the FW31's sidepod..

Whether the other teams also validate at the tests with the transparent UV paint, i don't know, but i'd assume it very likely.

Why McLaren (and seemingly Renault) tend to use a visually apparent flo-vis paint, i'm not really sure..

They use high flo paint because they know that every photographer at the circuit is going to snap the car and sell the pics to every person who will snap them up.
Each pair of eyes looking at those pics is being exposed to sponsors branding. Its called get value for money for your sponsors.

Notice, the MP4/25 is the most photographed f1 car launched thus far.
everyone is photographing the car, every forum is abuzz about the Maclaren, why?

Flo-vis paint...

[horse]

Notice, the MP4/25 is the most photographed f1 car launched thus far.
everyone is photographing the car, every forum is abuzz about the Maclaren, why?

Flo-vis paint...

That's certainly a positive side effect I hadn't thought of. Good for business, good for general interest.

New testing rule for 2011: Compulsory flow viz paint during testing!

[Blackout]

Another originality; the splitter:



It has a kind of diffuser on each side... or it's maybe just a place where to put ballast...

[BreezyRacer]

Another originality; the splitter:



It has a kind of diffuser on each side... or it's maybe just a place where to put ballast...

Yes that's a clever little detail, built like tunnels too, I presume to meet floor requirements. I have to wonder if it truly does much of anything though, as under braking and corner entry this part of the splitter is only a smidge off the ground so there's not much chance to lower the pressure in that area, except down the straights, or perhaps under hard throttle corner exit as in slow corners. I would like to see to see what the inlets are like.

[Shrek]

would it be possible that it's like a front diffuser like on Le Mans cars?

[Fil]

its quite a small contraption for a frontal diffuser, and surely would mess up airflow onto the leading edge of the floor itself.. screwing with the efficiency of the main diffuser.

would love to see the underside of that tho, i'd assume its purpose is to channel air into a targeted part of the floor feeding the Renault's freakishly huge upper diffuser channel.
Either that or to help seal the floor's edges. Seems a little small for that tho.

[manchild]

It is not a tunnel or a diffuser. Floor of the car between front and rear wheels must be flat surface.

That's more likely aerodynamic add-on for some device used for testing.

[Raptor22]

I'm not sure what that device fitted to the splitter is, but it is possible that it is a diffusor,even if it's quite small.

scratching chin around how it would be beneficial to introduce slow moving air into that area.Perhaps they want to produce a vortex either into the side pod or around the under cut in the side pod...