Mercedes GP W02

[Med4224]

but he's french

hehe, no
Prost means cheers
as in drinking beer or something


not the french driver

wie bitte = pardon (I think)

and that interview was before Bahrain was cancelled

[Raptor22]

@marcush and Raptor.

It is also not beyond the realms of reason for Mercedes to increase the wheel base either. As a poster mentioned, short wheel base will exaggerate any characteristics.
Maybe this is the point. Find out what they do at the limit and work around it.

As for the sidepods, well that could be anything. We may see somthing less extravegent but more workable than Mclarens. We may not see anything new.

I think the key to the W02 lies in the Front tyres usage and the three plane front wing. Turn in hampered the W01 and it appears to be in the W02. Solve the turn in issue and Mercedes will be top 3.

Lengthening the wheelbase would be a major change but not beyond the realms of possibility at all. Its been done in the past and it canbe done again.
As for the side pods, I'm sort of betting on an inverted McLaren soluton with the exhaust blowing inside that channel. The issue could be increased drag due to the "pipe" between the floor and the bodywork but thats a design problem wrt to tradeoff in drag vs downforce.

Another possibility is the sidepods raised off the floor completely.

We can speculate about this and anything really is possible because the current shape appears very simple indeed.
s you correctly state the key lies in improved use of the front tyres. Thats a weight distribution and front end aero issue but also a suspension design issue. They need to achieve the correct mount of anti dive to keep the wing working effectively while reducing shear in the rubber with current wear rates on the P-Zero's it appears they are going to have their work cut out to make the last. Interestingly the short wheel base helps the fronts since the back does not push them as much

[Raptor22]

but he's french

hehe, no
Prost means cheers
as in drinking beer or something


not the french driver

wie bitte = pardon (I think)

and that interview was before Bahrain was cancelled

I was just trying to introduce a bit of humour.
I spent Xmas and New year in Rothenburg some years ago so I know all about "Prost!!" and proposing to the B&B owners really stunning but already married daughter!

[raymondu999]

Oh yeah. German beers and pork knuckles are awesome.
But I digress.

Back to this W02 business. Would the angle of the steering lock (being less, due to the shorter wheelbases) help to have a positive effect on tyre preservation? I don' think it would affect degradation on the rear tyres in any way though. But I could be talking absolute bollocks

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Thank you 747.

Im currently on my mac, and Firefox doesnt support the google translate toolbar on Apple So I cannot source any German news, which tends to be better informed and more technical then what we have here in England surprisingly.

With Brawn saying Mercedes have something surprising coming aero wise, and with many onlookers being extrememly sceptical, I would say the Mercedes is the joker of the pack. Likely to dissapoint but has the potential to surprise.

[mtec80]

here is a brandnew article from the German Auto Motor uns Sport (again translated with Google ):

Mercedes with the best top speed
Mercedes has made a step forward. Nice, but not enough, says sports chief Norbert Haug. The positive findings of the third test week, in his view, the car is now reliable and the leader in terms of top speed.

Norbert Haug looks after the test in Barcelona a bit more confident in the world than before. The Mercedes W02 GP has increased. By how much that nobody can say. The filing of the lap times is an equation with too many unknowns. Still dares to say Haug: "The thing we have shown in Barcelona, looked ever better than what we have seen in testing it." Both the best time of Nico Rosberg on the third day of testing as well as a continuous run of Michael Schumacher on the last day.

Rosberg had his two fastest laps on Sunday, with different tires. Once soft, even super soft. Michael Schumacher on Monday presented a long run of 16 laps with impressive consistency on the web: between warm-up lap and the lap back to the pits were the lap times as follows: 1:27.6 - 1:27.8 - 1:28.2 - 1:28.0 - 1: 28.8 - 1:29.7 - 1:28.7 - 1:28.9 - 1:29.4 - 1:29.3 -1:29.6 - 1:30.3 - 1:30.8 - 1:31.3 minutes. The slump in the sixth round explained by the fact that Schumacher had to overtake a car.

Mercedes has not yet so often cited large stage on the car, but a new front wing, vehicle votes and a better understanding of the tires were effective. 427 laps or 1988 miles in four days are proof that the worst problems are resolved. "Because we drive more could we now understand the car and the tires better. And that brings lap time," said Haug. "With our laps, we went very different settings than before." Moreover, Rosberg and Schumacher were still of various handicaps be slowed down. At times, went on strike KERS, the lower floor cleared, and at higher temperatures had cut holes in the paneling. summarum Summa remain as 6:00 to 8:00 Zehntel per lap on the track.

Top speed as a trump card

Now everything is on the last big shot from the Technical Bureau. "We exhaust our solution and have blown diffuser in the rear," said Haug and says cautiously optimistic: "If everything goes in the right direction, the Silver Arrow may surprise you." Another positive aspect: the Mercedes were 316 km / h faster on the straights. Only the Renault came into this area. This could be important when it comes to the overtaking. Haug predicts especially in the initial phase of a Grand Prix surprises, depending on how the drivers deal with their tires. "If the front is in combat, driving might destroy the tires. There is a shake up from further back with the harder tire compound or with careful used tires the whole field. As all the cars appeared together again are relatively close, could be the top speed an important role . play "

[Raptor22]

Oh yeah. German beers and pork knuckles are awesome.
But I digress.

Back to this W02 business. Would the angle of the steering lock (being less, due to the shorter wheelbases) help to have a positive effect on tyre preservation? I don' think it would affect degradation on the rear tyres in any way though. But I could be talking absolute bollocks

Its a very gebneral statement to make that shorter wheelbase = less turning lock since there are other variables in that equation. As with all things in F1 the answer begins with "It depends..."
assuming they got their damping and suspension geometry right, then yes it would certainly aid front tyre lie while not affecting rear tyre wear too adversely. It may take a lap or two off the tyres life but if it gains you 5sec in a stint then you are likely to be there or thereabouts for the top step come the last lap.
It all depends on detail design and strategy on how the car is used. With these Pirelli's not looking like they are going to last much more than 15 laps we're probably looking at 3 stop races which means that a short wheelbase on a good car could be the joker in the pack.
"it depends...."

[adam2007]

this pisses me off why test a car with parts not going to use on the race? brawn said new upgrade for first race we heard this last year to so dont get your hopes up, just amazes me why just dont run all their new upgrades in the tests instead of old ones who cares if other people see them at end of day u can refine and play around once puts new 1 on they wont have any data for it and before you guys say simulator thats not very accurate as loads of diffent factors affects the car you cant get them in a simulator only on a race track like bumps in the road all that --- and many more. urghhhh they are so slow at the min!

[Ganxxta]

@mtec:
Could you post also links to the source, would be better for those who speak german^^, google translation is crap.

Seems that the new Rearwing is working, at least they are fastest on straights

[Raptor22]

here is a brandnew article from the German Auto Motor uns Sport (again translated with Google ):

Mercedes with the best top speed
Mercedes has made a step forward. Nice, but not enough, says sports chief Norbert Haug. The positive findings of the third test week, in his view, the car is now reliable and the leader in terms of top speed.

Norbert Haug looks after the test in Barcelona a bit more confident in the world than before. The Mercedes W02 GP has increased. By how much that nobody can say. The filing of the lap times is an equation with too many unknowns. Still dares to say Haug: "The thing we have shown in Barcelona, looked ever better than what we have seen in testing it." Both the best time of Nico Rosberg on the third day of testing as well as a continuous run of Michael Schumacher on the last day.

Rosberg had his two fastest laps on Sunday, with different tires. Once soft, even super soft. Michael Schumacher on Monday presented a long run of 16 laps with impressive consistency on the web: between warm-up lap and the lap back to the pits were the lap times as follows: 1:27.6 - 1:27.8 - 1:28.2 - 1:28.0 - 1: 28.8 - 1:29.7 - 1:28.7 - 1:28.9 - 1:29.4 - 1:29.3 -1:29.6 - 1:30.3 - 1:30.8 - 1:31.3 minutes. The slump in the sixth round explained by the fact that Schumacher had to overtake a car.

Mercedes has not yet so often cited large stage on the car, but a new front wing, vehicle votes and a better understanding of the tires were effective. 427 laps or 1988 miles in four days are proof that the worst problems are resolved. "Because we drive more could we now understand the car and the tires better. And that brings lap time," said Haug. "With our laps, we went very different settings than before." Moreover, Rosberg and Schumacher were still of various handicaps be slowed down. At times, went on strike KERS, the lower floor cleared, and at higher temperatures had cut holes in the paneling. summarum Summa remain as 6:00 to 8:00 Zehntel per lap on the track.

Top speed as a trump card

Now everything is on the last big shot from the Technical Bureau. "We exhaust our solution and have blown diffuser in the rear," said Haug and says cautiously optimistic: "If everything goes in the right direction, the Silver Arrow may surprise you." Another positive aspect: the Mercedes were 316 km / h faster on the straights. Only the Renault came into this area. This could be important when it comes to the overtaking. Haug predicts especially in the initial phase of a Grand Prix surprises, depending on how the drivers deal with their tires. "If the front is in combat, driving might destroy the tires. There is a shake up from further back with the harder tire compound or with careful used tires the whole field. As all the cars appeared together again are relatively close, could be the top speed an important role . play "

Thanks mtec80,
the information bears out wha Ihave seen in the lap times.

Lets see what they show us in Australia in a months time.

[Raptor22]

this pisses me off why test a car with parts not going to use on the race? brawn said new upgrade for first race we heard this last year to so dont get your hopes up, just amazes me why just dont run all their new upgrades in the tests instead of old ones who cares if other people see them at end of day u can refine and play around once puts new 1 on they wont have any data for it and before you guys say simulator thats not very accurate as loads of diffent factors affects the car you cant get them in a simulator only on a race track like bumps in the road all that --- and many more. urghhhh they are so slow at the min!

is their testing methodology affecting your share price?

Oh sorry you don;t have shares so patience paduwan. If the car is going to come good it requires positive energy not all that anglo saxon doubt you spreading. You must be like the air and flow, flow....

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Its amazing how Gary Anderson is basing his findings on the W02 from Valencia and Jerez. Barcelona has demonstrated that with almost no updates to the car Mercedes have shown decent consistency and times on longer runs.
Why have the press chosen to ignore this?

I think the story of a slow Mercedes shifts papers and ups readership.

[Med4224]

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 76894.html

this is the article in german

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 76894.html

this is the article in german

Right so with a short wheel base they are fastest. Does a longer wheelbase not aide top speed?

[Raptor22]

Its amazing how Gary Anderson is basing his findings on the W02 from Valencia and Jerez. Barcelona has demonstrated that with almost no updates to the car Mercedes have shown decent consistency and times on longer runs.
Why have the press chosen to ignore this?

I think the story of a slow Mercedes shifts papers and ups readership.

gary Anderson like Eddie Jordan I prefer to ignore. Not being arrogant but Anderson now being a media consultant is under pressure to say something and has no real accountability.
Anderson like Jordan still smoulders about the way Brawn snatched a a very young and promising driver from under his nose. Apparently this promising driver went on to win a World Driver Championship or two.
The results this driver could have earned Jordan could have placed them in a very good position for 1992. It was disappointment that neither Anderson or Jordan has ever recovered from so no surprise that Anderson and Jordan take swipes at the now much older driver and Mr. Brawn.