Mercedes GP W02

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

... Unless he brings 0.3s on average to each race, the car will not turn around and Mercedes will be constantly fighting the midfield for the lesser points.

So, if it would be 20 races this year, then they will gain 6 seconds per season? I think it`s a little bit to much, don`t you think?
Maybe a tenth per race would rather be relevant, as Mr. Haug was saying ...

+1
Mclaren were heralded for finding 2.5 seconds in a season in 2009. 0.3 seconds a race is unheard of, there is no historic precedent for that kind of development in the modern era. 0.1 Seconds a lap translates into around 2 seconds, this is not being happy standing still, this is progress.

[onewingedangel]

2.5 seconds in relative pace would be more than 2.5 seconds in absolute pace though as the other teams continued to develop as well.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Nope.

That would mean teams would be year on year 6 seconds quicker at Barcelona and be remain still over the winter, which does not happen.

Eg(no facts but there is plent of precedent in years with no great rule change), you start the year and do 1.24, does not mean it will do 1.18 at the end of the year. And to put in further perspective, the following years car will need to do 1.16 to be anything of an improvement.

The numbers you are talking about are crazy, and near exponential. Development is not exponential, its one step at a time.
Haug is spot on expecting 0.1 seconds improvement from the W02 at each race.

[Mandrake]

I don't think that Haug believes to find 0,3 seconds every race until the end of the season. I rather more think that they aim to find those 0,3 seconds in the first races to catch up with the obviously fast RedBulls and Ferraris.

Given the fact that last year they became quicker without updates just by understanding the car, I believe that this year they start with a better understanding and that updates + understanding might in fact give them a couple of tenths in the first races.

[i70q7m7ghw]

I still don't get where people are getting the notion that this car is now miraculously sniffing around behind Red Bull and Ferrari based on a single morning's worth of qualifying laps in testing.

I would say solid third, I don't think anyone really believes Merc are suddenly on the pace of the Red Bulls.

[segedunum]

Their exhaust solution is good, i think it's in fact equal with the redbull's.

Just what are Merc trying to achieve with their exhaust? I can understand Renault's. While there might be some confusion over the specifics, they're basically trying to create more downforce from the front of the floor on back. Red Bull are trying to keep as much kinetic energy as possible in their airflow by placing their exhaust as close as possible to where they want to create downforce, namely the diffuser.

What's happening with Merc's exhausts? They seem a bit betwixt and between with their placement virtually in the middle of the sidepods.

[bot6]

The idea of the Merc exhaust is exactly the same as that of the blown diffuser Red Bull pioneered last year. That is, re-energizing the airflow as it reaches the rear of the car before it gets to the diffuser. This way, the flow on top of the diffuser has more energy, helping to suck air out of the diffuser, hence helping to suck air in under the floor at the front of the car, hence more flow under the car, hence more downforce.

Now doing this on a longer distance (= more forward exhaust exits than on last year's Red Bull) enables the exhaust heat to reach a wider portion of the flow, making the re-energizing of the flow more efficient.

Now if you put the exhaust too far forwards, you hit a very wide portion of the flow. So wide that some of it will hit the rear tyres or just empty air instead of hitting the diffuser / beam wing combo. So you will again loose efficiency. So there is an optimal place to put the exhaust, and I'm sure Mercedes put in quite a lot of CFD and wind tunnel hours into this to determine where to place these exhaust exits and to find that sweet spot.

So instead of trying to find a new way to use the exhaust gasses to blow under the floor or under the diffuser, as have done Red Bull, Ferrari and Renault, Mercedes just took the Red Bull concept from last year, which proved its efficiency, and refined it.

[Ferraripilot]

The idea of the Merc exhaust is exactly the same as that of the blown diffuser Red Bull pioneered last year. That is, re-energizing the airflow as it reaches the rear of the car before it gets to the diffuser. This way, the flow on top of the diffuser has more energy, helping to suck air out of the diffuser, hence helping to suck air in under the floor at the front of the car, hence more flow under the car, hence more downforce.

Now doing this on a longer distance (= more forward exhaust exits than on last year's Red Bull) enables the exhaust heat to reach a wider portion of the flow, making the re-energizing of the flow more efficient.

Now if you put the exhaust too far forwards, you hit a very wide portion of the flow. So wide that some of it will hit the rear tyres or just empty air instead of hitting the diffuser / beam wing combo. So you will again loose efficiency. So there is an optimal place to put the exhaust, and I'm sure Mercedes put in quite a lot of CFD and wind tunnel hours into this to determine where to place these exhaust exits and to find that sweet spot.

So instead of trying to find a new way to use the exhaust gasses to blow under the floor or under the diffuser, as have done Red Bull, Ferrari and Renault, Mercedes just took the Red Bull concept from last year, which proved its efficiency, and refined it.

I am surprised RB is not using the MB concept as it seems to be more efficient given Red Bull's super-smooth rear bodywork and Red Bull's concept hits only a portion of the outer part of the diffuser. Not sure which is better but it sure seems that although their (RB) concept appears clever it's not as good. Just a layperson's opinion though.

[shelly]

As I posted previously,I think merc exhaust allow a steeper (thus shorter) coke bottle, energising the flow on the side of the side pod like in a blown flap.

[Twaddle]

As I posted previously,I think merc exhaust allow a steeper (thus shorter) coke bottle, energising the flow on the side of the side pod like in a blown flap.

I agree, the placement looks to be about keeping the flow attached to the sidepods while allowing a tighter curve. Notice how sharply the sidepods of the W02 curve inwards behind the exhaust.

[Pedro]

Wrote a piece about Mercedes major upgrade introduced in Barcelona:

http://translate.google.cz/translate?js ... rcelone%2F
(poor Google translation).

[Timstr]

Wrote a piece about Mercedes major upgrade introduced in Barcelona:

http://translate.google.cz/translate?js ... rcelone%2F
(poor Google translation).

You missed the change in placement and shape of the sidepod entry.

[Timstr]

McLaren and Mercedes are the only teams who've elected to raise the rear crash structure to expose the top of the diffuser over its full width.
I haven't seen much said about it, but to me it looks like an important feature in aiding the extraction of air from under the diffuser.

[Pedro]

Wrote a piece about Mercedes major upgrade introduced in Barcelona:

http://translate.google.cz/translate?js ... rcelone%2F
(poor Google translation).

You missed the change in placement and shape of the sidepod entry.

EDIT
Thanks, Timstr.
I will update it.

[luca]

Schumacher: Car ready for top places