Red Bull RB7 Renault

[timbo]

Any idea what the small teardrop shaped fairings are for on the front wing's upper elements?

Good spot!
Maybe something to test front tyre temps?

[RichardHH]

imo it's more likely that having a "super fast" mechanism disrupts the airflow too much and causes the airflow to detach when activated.

I can agree that a fast movement can disturb the airflow... but for how long? Surely reaching a smooth air flow will take a lot less time than the 0.1 to 0.3 seconds that I lose from using a slow actuator.

[Robbobnob]

Any idea what the small teardrop shaped fairings are for on the front wing's upper elements?

Looks like they would generate a Vortex infront of the break ducts

[wesley123]

why would you want screwed up airflow(well it isnt quite screwed up but it isnt quite airflow you want to cool your car) into the brake ducts?

Such similair thing was done too with the Peugeot 908HDI FAP(The turbo intake behind the mirror in frontal view, only here airflow got time to go back to normal)

[ringo]

imo it's more likely that having a "super fast" mechanism disrupts the airflow too much and causes the airflow to detach when activated.

I can agree that a fast movement can disturb the airflow... but for how long? Surely reaching a smooth air flow will take a lot less time than the 0.1 to 0.3 seconds that I lose from using a slow actuator.

Exactly, stalling is the aim not increasing down-force so disruption is welcome.
What redbull may be doing is having a different wing speed for qualifying than in the race. Seeing as though in qualifying the wing will be stalled in the exit of the turns, it may be of some benefit to have the stall a little slower so downforce is reduced gently as the car is in the process of exiting the turn.
During the race while overtaking in the straights is a different story, that wing may stall as fast and disruptive as mechanically possible.

[wrcsti]

Alll this wing speed talk and noone referencing to the huge hot air exit?

[Lindz]

Alll this wing speed talk and noone referencing to the huge hot air exit?

What about it? It's been discussed to death already. And the latest Barca test saw them running the smaller more teardrop shaped one.

Any idea what the small teardrop shaped fairings are for on the front wing's upper elements?

picture

I think if it were purely to create a vortex for the brake ducts, they could easily do that with the shape of the trailing edge, no? It looks to be adjustable, whatever it is.

Maybe it's not just for the brake ducts. Maybe it is more beneficial to have the air separate ahead of the tire. Instead of hitting the tire with a high pressure air flow, this could create a pocket of low pressure just ahead of the tire, reducing it's affect on drag and airflow to the sidepods...

You've already got low pressure flow from the bottom of the wing elements, you just need that little something to get some of the high pressure from the top element to drop right before the tire...

[SoliRossi]

imo it's more likely that having a "super fast" mechanism disrupts the airflow too much and causes the airflow to detach when activated.

I can agree that a fast movement can disturb the airflow... but for how long? Surely reaching a smooth air flow will take a lot less time than the 0.1 to 0.3 seconds that I lose from using a slow actuator.

Exactly, stalling is the aim not increasing down-force so disruption is welcome.
What redbull may be doing is having a different wing speed for qualifying than in the race. Seeing as though in qualifying the wing will be stalled in the exit of the turns, it may be of some benefit to have the stall a little slower so downforce is reduced gently as the car is in the process of exiting the turn.
During the race while overtaking in the straights is a different story, that wing may stall as fast and disruptive as mechanically possible.

I like ringo's idea. Sounds like a logical and intuitive way to use the wing. Maximise it for each intended use, and lets face it when used in race and quali the goals are very different.

[RichardHH]

I can agree that a fast movement can disturb the airflow... but for how long? Surely reaching a smooth air flow will take a lot less time than the 0.1 to 0.3 seconds that I lose from using a slow actuator.

Exactly, stalling is the aim not increasing down-force so disruption is welcome.
What redbull may be doing is having a different wing speed for qualifying than in the race. Seeing as though in qualifying the wing will be stalled in the exit of the turns, it may be of some benefit to have the stall a little slower so downforce is reduced gently as the car is in the process of exiting the turn.
During the race while overtaking in the straights is a different story, that wing may stall as fast and disruptive as mechanically possible.

I like ringo's idea. Sounds like a logical and intuitive way to use the wing. Maximise it for each intended use, and lets face it when used in race and quali the goals are very different.

Using a slower deployment sounds reasonable when opening up, especialy when activating it at a moment where I need good balance. Good thinking Ringo, I didn't considder that. Closing the system is IMHO a different story.

I would open it slowly when the car is in a turn, open and close it as fast as I could for the rest.

[myurr]

Alll this wing speed talk and noone referencing to the huge hot air exit?

Actually I wonder if the two things are linked. One of the comments, think it may have been scarbs, on the Red Bull said that the size of the duct would disrupt airflow to the rear wing causing it to be less effective, but the trade off was that it would clean up the airflow for the top of the diffuser and beam wing. As the Red Bull rear wing is less effective than that on other cars in terms of overall percentage of downforce being generated, that could also help explain why they are able to activate the ARW earlier than the other cars.

[AbbaleRacing77]

Aren't they only allowed to use the adjustable wing in designated sections of the track??? Making this whole conversation about red bull activating there wing early irrelevant?

[Just_a_fan]

They can use it freely in practice and qualifying. So if they want to use it in several places on the track in qualifying in order to get the best time then they can do so.

During the race, the wing will only work in the "designated area".

[SoliRossi]

Spot on, think back to KERS, in a racing situation you would store it up for maximum boost compared to your oponent, but in quali or the quickest way around a lap was to use it on each acceleration zone.


The RWSD is similar its just that in the race its legislated to enforce where you can use it. However in quali you can use it as you see fit. So sheding downforce as soon as its not required is a massive advantage to overall lap time, especially if its as effective as they suggest.

[PlatinumZealot]

Don't forget that if there is nobody 1 second in front of you, you don't get to use the DRS!

[rayden]

Don't forget that if there is nobody 1 second in front of you, you don't get to use the DRS!

no, this is not true.

in the race itself yes, but you a free to use it whenever/wherever you wish in qualifying.