Mercedes GP W02

[HampusA]

I´m not a fan of Merc, but i´m not one who just disses the team. I want them to succeed even though their german rivals BMW is where my heart is.

It seems many people are underestimating Merc or what they can do.
I fully believe that if Brawn says that this is an interim car with nothing from the the new update package. Will they be able to hang with Ferrari or RBR? I doubt it.

Will they still be "up there" though? I think so very much.

[Med4224]

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 83398.html

Interview with Brawn, 26.2.2011

Brawn:"I do not know what development steps other teams will bring before the start of the season. For us, it will be a big step. "

Bawn:"But we can still follow up on our exhaust solution. And so far I haven't seen anyone with a solution as the one we plan. Until now we had the exhaust where it was last year."

[Med4224]

Also yesterday Mercedes tested its new simulator for the first time.
Nico did the testing.

www.twitter.com/nico_rosberg

[dren]

So the holes in the top of the side pods and slits in the rear are the cooling quick fixes? Can those alone sap a lot of performance from the car? Maybe the team hasn't been running KERS all the time and also maybe they are running a different engine map until the cooling issue is fixed for good? Due to the cooling issues I now fully expect some noticeable changes to the side pods.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

So from what Brawn is saying they have an exhaust solution that has yet to be seen on the 2011 cars.
Further expanding on this, it could be that it is incorporated into the sidepods somehow.

Maybe with the undercut in the pods that was discussed earlier, the exhaust would add to the air being washed onto the rear of the car.
A cut in the current cars drag, as well as an increase in the cars rear down force. You can see why Brawn is optimistic if this is the case.

There is the problem of the front end. I wonder if the Tri plane front wing will make an appearance at Barca?

Re the Simulator, looks like Mercedes are putting there money where their mouth is
Good to see, hope it works out for the car and the team. Now just for Bell to arrive the Team will be looking in very healthy shape.
I Do hope Mercedes are keeping tabs on James Key at Sauber though....

[dren]

It sounds like the W02 is moving in the right direction. The new front wing is a go, stated by Brawn. I don't expect a huge change there, just an added plane. The side pods are still a mistery on what will go on. Maybe the exhaust exits under the pods but over the floor as you're getting at JET? That would be interesting.

[marcush.]

Brawn stated in the AMuS interview that their exhaust solution is unique and not seen on other cars but also less adventurous......
he also admitted to getting on the wrong track with the sidepod exits wich had the wrong position.

This all seems to be an indication that we will not see something spectacular in 10 days.

But on the other hand the Ferrari is not spectacular either and so is the RBR7...

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Ok so Nothing spectacular then
But, if it works well then I wont mind either way.
Dren, I think from what Marcush has just posted we wont see it blowing the floor or have a side pod exit. It will just be in a similar location but optimised for their needs. But why say no one else has this solution?

I guess Brawn is managing expectations here.

[dren]

I am not expecting spectacular exhaust exits, but I am now expecting something quite different with the sidepods compared to the current W02. Do you think it will be channeled to the starter hole with flat wide exhausts incorporated into the top of the floor?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I think McLaren had somthing which, while not quite the same, is certainly similar in concept to what you are saying Dren. But then they did experiment with 5 or 6 different ideas.
The side pods are shoe-in for change. If they dont change, even slightly, I will be dissapointed. But if the car is fast with minimal changes then what more can a fan ask for

[Med4224]

In the same article Brawn said they found a solution for cooling issues
I just didn't translate it.
He hinted at different body work.

Also in a previous interview on AMuS he stated that there will be a new front wing with the package. So it is for sure.

We don't need something spectacular, just something that works.
Brawn said that the solution won't be as extreme as Renault or Mclaren and therefore there are no testing worries (when asked if he's worried about the little testing the package will get).

I think they're doing just fine for 2011, he said the car will be reasonable and on target. Brawn is not one to embelish for anyone's sake.

[ringo]

The sidepods only seem large. Don't forget they have the shortest car. In fact it is closer that it appears.

That's the biggest mistake they made.
That's the underlying problem. A longer car would have slimmer volumes and also more room for packaging and air flow.
Redbull's car never had to be as long as it is, but the have this long gearbox just to keep the wheels and wings as far away from the mid body as possible.

Mercedes can correct their problems, but they will be on the back foot anyway. While they are correcting others are refining.

[Formula None]

The sidepods only seem large. Don't forget they have the shortest car. In fact it is closer that it appears.

That's the biggest mistake they made.
That's the underlying problem. A longer car would have slimmer volumes and also more room for packaging and air flow.
Redbull's car never had to be as long as it is, but the have this long gearbox just to keep the wheels and wings as far away from the mid body as possible.

Mercedes can correct their problems, but they will be on the back foot anyway. While they are correcting others are refining.

Totally agree. They're stuck with that short gearbox. The updates can't introduce any drastic changes due to this. Like many teams this year, they went pullrod, but left out RB's key distinction: the bellcranks are completely forward of lower wishbone. So Merc now have their suspension components lower, but it does nothing for narrowing the rear bodywork.

[Ganxxta]

Mercedes bought the rest of the shares from Ross Brawn, now the Team is 100% Mercedes (and Aabar^^):

http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/forme ... pfeil.html (use google translate if necessary)

[WhiteBlue]

They also got rid of an 18% share holding in McLaren. So the transaction might have been done without fresh cash for Mercedes. The whole deal could have anticipated some cash flow constraints and that might have been the reason to keep the 25% share holding of the Brawn directors for one more year.