Mercedes GP MGP W01

[myurr]

Of course other team are bringing updates, I wouldnt expect anything less.
But is any other top 3 team running 09 aero? No chance.

They are very different, even red bulls aero mods are different from last year.

The Mercedes GP update will be more extensive in my opinion as it encompasses the front wing and the diffuser.
I'm speculating on this using some free licence, but it stands to reason, why would the W01 look TOTALLY different to the BGP001 AND use the same front wing and diffuser?
There is only 2 reasons for this.
1) Its an interim measure until the new wing and diffuser arrives
OR
2)Brawn always had it in mind to use last years aero.

I'm more inclined to believe 1, as Brawn had to have a very strong case for Mercedes investment and to coax Schumacher back. Using last years diffuser and front wing is not a strong case at all!

Totally understand where you're coming from, and I believe it is a possibility. But what you're seeing with the other teams is that they launch with the '09 wings, test with the first revision, and then release their final parts for the final test / first race. That way they get to collect data on an aero setup that is almost there and use that data to help refine the final designs.

If Brawn's new wing and diffuser are going to be radically different, rather than evolutions, then that would seriously devalue the data they've already collected. The weight distribution changes they've made may need to be thrown out if the aero balance is radically different. Tyre usage would be different, possibly necessitating a different suspension geometry, etc.

To be honest I believe that all you're seeing is that the car was really an evolution of last years, hence the old wing and diffuser being carried over, even though it has some more visual changes than the F10 or RB6. Their aero update is going to have an evolution of the front wing and diffuser, rather than a radical change to some new concept.

So I think it is option 2 from your list - the car is based on broadly the same aero concepts as last years cars, refined and evolved to fix some of the weaknesses, hence the old wing and diffuser working just fine, and with the first evolution of those due in the update.

[myurr]

Are the other top teams 100% using new wings and difusers to last year?

If thats the case then I agree with JohnsonEvilTwin. The Merc is not going to have the same incremental updates as the others but in fact some pretty fundamental updates.

Well McLaren are using a slight evolution of the front wing they trialled several times last year - they referred to this as their '09 wing during their launch. Not sure about the Ferrari or Redbull.

[JohnsonEvilTwin]

McLaren used 6 front wings in all last season, possibly more!

So as to where they stand on front wings, I dont even think they can tell for certain.

I'm perplexed by Brawn because the aero concept of the MGP W01 radically different to the BGP001.
From the low to high nose, to the lowered airbox and the very compact rear. It is a greater departure than any other team. The concept is different, so the wing and diffuser will work, but no way will it be as effective as one designed to be bespoke to the MGPW01.

As for the info gathered on the W01 during testing, it hasnt tested aero yet. Mercedes have said as much during the last 3 tests. Firstly systems checks and operations were tested, gremlins were discovered(weight distribution issue and cracked exhausts) and the following 2 Jerez tests have been to remedy weight distribution and reliability. Further to this Mercedes have also been conducting tyre wear tests on different compounds.

Aero will be for Barca or maybe even as late as Bahrain free practice 1!

[WhiteBlue]

I can see all top teams sporting McLaren like diffusors by the time we go to Bahrain. Most of them will also test them this week. Same goes for front and rear wings.

[myurr]

McLaren used 6 front wings in all last season, possibly more!

They had three aero concepts - the launch wings used for the first few races with the almost flat sides; the 'B' car revised wings with the side scoops; and the wacky wing they've been using thus far in testing. The other wings were all variants on those three concepts, tuned for different races and downforce levels.

I'm perplexed by Brawn because the aero concept of the MGP W01 radically different to the BGP001.
From the low to high nose, to the lowered airbox and the very compact rear. It is a greater departure than any other team. The concept is different, so the wing and diffuser will work, but no way will it be as effective as one designed to be bespoke to the MGPW01.

I'd actually rank the McLaren as the most radically different car from the top 4, followed by the Mercedes, Redbull then Ferrari, but I agree that the Mercedes is heavily changed from last year. That said it wouldn't necessarily need to be a clean sheet design. They could easily have started with the old front wing and diffuser as a baseline of a combination that was working well, updated the nose and worked their way back, all with a view to later evolve the front wing and diffuser for the first race.

I just can't see any team introducing something radically different this late in the game. Every year the teams say they'll have big updates for the first race and that the launch wings will be unrecognisable, and every year we play spot the difference.

[myurr]

I can see all top teams sporting McLaren like diffusors by the time we go to Bahrain. Most of them will also test them this week. Same goes for front and rear wings.

May be wrong but I'm skeptical. It's not as easy as just dropping a new McLaren style diffuser on to the back of the car, the whole rear end of the cars would probably need repackaging and everything from the front wing back would need to be updated to the change in aero concept.

But I guess we'll find out in a couple of days.

[axle]

I can see all top teams sporting McLaren like diffusors by the time we go to Bahrain. Most of them will also test them this week. Same goes for front and rear wings.

Volume does not equal efficiency though...teams will use a version that fits the rules yet is optimal for efficiency not just volume.

We can't, from our armchairs, see that efficiency...

[marcush.]

what amazes me is the fact they hope to find something like 6 tenth off a second in aero alone.

so that is a huge gain in itself for an aero upgrade ,something like a step forward in performance over one lap of around half a percent.

seems like a mirakle to me after they worked so long on the current project ,it seems odd that you could find the biggest gains at the end of the development ,not at the beginning...totally contrary to real life isn´t it?

[djones]

6 tenths could easily be found with aero. I mean, look at the advantage the difuser cars had at the start of the season.

[JohnsonEvilTwin]

Well Im speculating from all my previous posts.

But like I said, do you really think Brawn would have been happy accepting last years 09 diffuser and front wing?
I dont think Schumi or Mercedes would deem that progress either.

[marcush.]

6 tenths could easily be found with aero. I mean, look at the advantage the difuser cars had at the start of the season.

if that was easy ,anyone could do it .So it ain´t easy as it would be already on the cars since last year.

A loophole in the regs ,as this is what the DD is all about ,is not comparable to a
normal development cycle.it is a different principle an innovation,quite normal that this will yield a distinct step in performance .

The rule of optimisation is spend 10%of your time and effort to achieve 90% of the potential.. so if you want to unleash the last you have to have time and money..

[JohnsonEvilTwin]

As the front wing forms the basis of what happens to the air for the rest of the car, it is vital you get it right.
Now to have a low nose concept as in the BGP001 then to move to the high-low nose of the W01 whilst keeping the same front wing is not desirable.

The reason is(while im no expert of aero) the different concepts have different aero requirements. I cannot see a design being so different as before requiring the same front wing. This just is not possible in my mind.

I will gladly take on board any other opinions, My bottom line is I would be extremely dissapointed as a Mercedes fan if there is no change for the first fly away races of the season.

[BreezyRacer]

No matter what team, the front wings will not be the same as last year because of the narrower front tires. Once that is sorted I think you can say that front wings are pretty developed. Just look up and down the grid .. they have all arrived at very similar end plates and only a couple of really different wing plates.

As for the rear diffuser, the diffuser exit (what we can see) is not really where the action is this year. It's largely about the under tray entries and how effectively you can move the pressure center forwards in the car.

As for these first few tests, the teams are just starting with fairly known baselines so they can collect good data on the new tire/fuel configuration. Barcelona will show us the real work that occurs now based on what each team has found. So be patient and we'll be able to analyze the real directions each team takes as we get closer to a real P1/Q1 session.

[JohnsonEvilTwin]

BreezyRacer +1 =D>

[toshinden]

realizing that the merc wont have the advantage this season like they did previously, i'm sure that Ross will very careful in reveling the cards. Newey will be the first in his priority, if in barcelona they still using the old package. then we'll have to wait till Bahrain FP [-o<

expecting the front n rear wing to show up, but not sure with the diffuser