Renault R26 Breaks Cover!

[CCRomeo]

[manchild]

[ginsu]

Anybody know why there's two cooling 'gills' ahead of the radiator on the top of the sidepod?

Is it to bleed off excess pressure?

[kilcoo316]

Anybody know why there's two cooling 'gills' ahead of the radiator on the top of the sidepod?

Is it to bleed off excess pressure?

I doubt it is to bleed off pressure, more likely the exit duct for cooling for the onboard computer bits.

[zac510]

Yeah certainly cooling outlets. could be anything, like hydraulic fluid.

[scarbs]

I noticed those at the launch, I guessed they were for cooling electronics, as the undercut sidepods provide little space low down for the ECUs

[kilcoo316]

I wonder where the side impact spars go then?

[manchild]

Side impact parts don't exist as such for several of years now since front of the sidepod is actually made together with chassis (one piece).

[kilcoo316]

Side impact parts don't exist as such for several of years now since front of the sidepod is actually made together with chassis (one piece).

Thanks

Surely stiffened structures still have to run through it though - have they concentrated these towards the bottom to lower c of g?

[vyselegend]

Giancarlo was due to test new aero package today. Does anyone have pics?

[m3_lover]

http://www.f1racing.net/en/photolarge.p ... catID=1910

looking at this picture, below the main air inlet for the engine...there is a smaller duct (I think it is called a delta duct).. Is the purpose for this duct.. to bleed off pressure?
to cool the cockpit?
to cool the engine?
to get more air into the engine?
to life the car if it gets into a accident?

[manchild]

Surely stiffened structures still have to run through it though - have they concentrated these towards the bottom to lower c of g?

This pic requires no comment

R24

[DaveKillens]

FIA regulation 3.16.3 "In order that a car may be lifted quickly in the event of it stopping on the circuit, the principal rollover structure must incorporate a clearly visible unobstructed opening designed to permit a strap, whose section meaures 60mm x 30mm to pass through it."

[scarbs]

Although the sides of the car appear to be part of the monocoque they are not in fact fully structural.
The side impact protection is made up of the spars and interconnecting webs, plus the exterior skin of the sidepod shape. It is the spar that do the main impact resisitance. and these are hidden beneath the skin of the sidepod fronts.

[manchild]

I think that the second pics from Scarbs post shows R23B which had diffrently designed side impact zones than cars that followed (R24, R25, R26)