McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[vinuneuro]

As a McLaren supporter I'll remain apprehensive until the end of the last test and/or Bahrain. It seems a lot is still missing from the car.

[gridwalker]

Thanks Scarbs : I've been checking your blog all afternoon, waiting for your take on this

[lolshark]

@lolshark : How in hell did you manage that? I was powersliding around and crashing with everything that I could and the car didn't even flinch ...

messing around when you go out the bounds it jumps back to the center
try fast and spinging with no tc

[wickerbill]

Something unusual going on behind bargeboard (as it was with R31)
or its just me...?

[scarbs]

Pull-rod.

Also everything Scarbs said was wrong?

Eh..?

[2011F1]

McLaren MP4-26 new front exhausts design in Photos

[Agerasia]

If the car is indeed blowing the exhaust at the front similar to the Renault, then I don't understand why the diffuser has the cutouts that are similar to the Red Bull's.
I've circled them for reference.

[djos]

Ewwwwww, ugliest McLaren EVER!!!



Looks like it has a double floor?

[Agerasia]

I wonder if that extra opening in the airbox is for the rear diffusor. Although the exhaust may exit at the front they could still blow hot air over the exhaust system and out through the diffusor.
Kind of like a rammed hot air diffusor.

[forty-two]

A question for the Aero guys:

If the air hitting the raised section of the sidepods is already turbulent and potentially moving slightly forward (relative to the car) as a result of already having passed over/around the front wheels, will this result in an overall reduction of drag? (assuming of course they have adequate cooling!)

[mtec80]

Sorry McLaren guys (and this is my personal feeling) but this is the ugliest formula one car I've ever seen. I was really excited to see the new car but this was a bad surprise. I don't think that putting so much weight to the outer left and right can work.

[djos]

The top Macca was ugly and slow, so I wonder if all ugly Macca's are slow (including the 26)?

[Owen.C93]

Pull-rod.

Also everything Scarbs said was wrong?

Eh..?

Perhaps he's talking about somebody you retweeted saying that McLaren would have TF11O nose and hydraulic KERS.

[govind112]

thats the ugliest car ive ever seen! can some one give me a brief overview whats special about it and why its got those inlet like the r31

[slimjim8201]

Quite the innovative solution here. It allows a less restrictive path for the "best air" to get to the rear end and subsequently moves the side pod wake outboard towards the rear tires. Side pod inlet size requirements should be larger given a less than ideal air supply, but overall drag induced by the side pod may not increase for the same reason. Lift forces due to the typically foil-shaped pod should be reduced slightly as well.

- Air more effectively supplied to rear end
- Rear tire drag reduced
- Similar overall pod drag
- Reduced body lift in the center of the car

Ugly but promising...