Mercedes GP W02

[Richard]

The front of the airbox is a fixed point in the regs. They'll need a blade in that location if the airbox moves back.

Anyway, why move the airbox back, it'd add more volume to the rear of the car.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The area im talking about is behind the drivers head rest, just behind where the airbox pylons are located. The body work looks papered over...as if there could be a large section cut out of it.

[Ferraripilot]

The area im talking about is behind the drivers head rest, just behind where the airbox pylons are located. The body work looks papered over...as if there could be a large section cut out of it.

I'm seeing the area you are describing as 'papered over' as one of two areas on the car like this. The other area of course being the area under the words 'Malaysia' on the sidepods.

[FrukostScones]

where is the "papered-over" part?

Airbox cover panels and sidpod panels look indeed a bit bad fitting, but air intake and rollover structure and the area of the headrest look fine in my opinon.

[raymondu999]

Either way we'll see in... 3 weeks??

[Ferraripilot]

Either way we'll see in... 3 weeks??

[

Well, not 3 week but at next testing per Brawn.

If MB were to replace the airbox cover, would they not be commited to replacing the engine cover all the way to the back of the car essentially meaning 70% of the current bodywork would be replaced? I think so; the 'new and improved' contours to the airbox would certainly be moot without replacing everything behind. I don't see them doing this, but I could be pleasantly surprised.

[raymondu999]

Yes, unless Brawn also runs a spec that isn't final. But we'll really see a race-spec car for sure in, well... the first race

[dren]

I expect everything from the sidepods to what is behind the airbox to be replaced. I don't think the airbox will change shape. That will all stay the same.

[ringo]

Looking at this photo you can see how rough the actual car is.
It looks patched up. If you think back to the W01, and the Blade airbox design, Mercedes didnt show their concept until after the first three races, the bodywork had similar rough patches as this.
In this photo you can see some very dodgy body work just below and behind the actual Airbox, could this be intimating somthing in the pipeline for this area of the car?

How about a turning vane integrated into the mirror?
That part of the car was mysteriously blurred in the teaser photo.

This incomplete turning vane may suggest that there is an unconventional one in the pipe line.

[bot6]

I doubt that the teaser photo gives any indication about anything. Just look at the wheel rims on it: it's pretty much the only visible thing, and that's already miles off reality.

It seems there might be something special about the floor of the car, right under the sidepod air intakes. Some other teams have the floor bending upwards on the side of the floor there, to act as some kind of winglet i'm guessing. On the Merc however, that bend is much more pronounced, as is clearly visible in the picture just above. In fact, the whole section of the floor under the mini-side fence seems to be raised. Could it be they are using this section as a mini-side diffuser? And if they are, could they blow the exhaust under it by making it come out in front of the sidepods?

Or is it just an optical illusion?

[Ferraripilot]

I doubt that the teaser photo gives any indication about anything. Just look at the wheel rims on it: it's pretty much the only visible thing, and that's already miles off reality.

It seems there might be something special about the floor of the car, right under the sidepod air intakes. Some other teams have the floor bending upwards on the side of the floor there, to act as some kind of winglet i'm guessing. On the Merc however, that bend is much more pronounced, as is clearly visible in the picture just above. In fact, the whole section of the floor under the mini-side fence seems to be raised. Could it be they are using this section as a mini-side diffuser? And if they are, could they blow the exhaust under it by making it come out in front of the sidepods?

Or is it just an optical illusion?

I see the floor bend you are referring to. The turning vane is certainly anemic as is the barge board and you definitely have my attention regarding one more thing to watch for. The Mclaren seems to have the most detail at this particular floor area but MB could certainly have something wild.

[luca]

From a McLaren employee:

Mercedes are building a new car!!! #F1

@cmckinleyF1 all their staff are working 7 days a week to build all new apart from chassis!!!!!!

Source: http://twitter.com/RealSimonB

[marcush.]

so they really looked up what the others came up with and cherry picked??

[Ferraripilot]

that's insanity. I didn't think they were going to go that nuts, but apparently they are.

[andrew]

I'll believe it when I see it. Twitter like Wikipedia is not fact but opinion and (more in the case of Twitter) full of hoaxes.

I could set up an account and call myself a McLaren employee and advise that McLaren were going to build a new office on the Moon - and some wouldprobably believe me.

We'll see what Merc produce for the next test.