Mercedes GP W02

[dren]

The car was designed around this particular exhaust layout, hence the short wheel base. Brawn said they looked at the other options in the design phase. He also stated there is more potential for performance with the exhaust than there was with the DD.

We haven't heard of any issues with the exhaust layout or with the short wheel base. We have heard of issues with the KERS and the rear wing.

Time will tell.

[xpensive]

About this strangely short wheelbase, I've seen similar things in my past, typically in the US.

Management says: "Give us some novelties!"

When you don't have anything credible in the pipe, you give away something simple.

Like a short wheelbase on a race car.

[Ferraripilot]

The car was designed around this particular exhaust layout, hence the short wheel base. Brawn said they looked at the other options in the design phase. He also stated there is more potential for performance with the exhaust than there was with the DD.

We haven't heard of any issues with the exhaust layout or with the short wheel base. We have heard of issues with the KERS and the rear wing.

Time will tell.

I believe a shorter car means they can make more benefit of the exhaust than teams with a long car can not to mention better use of the fairly standard size diffusers everyone is stuck with now. All of their weight is pushed towards the center of the car too. Clever and very different concept if they can pull it off.

[TURU]

I believe a shorter car means they can make more benefit of the exhaust than teams with a long car can not to mention better use of the fairly standard size diffusers everyone is stuck with now. All of their weight is pushed towards the center of the car too. Clever and very different concept if they can pull it off.

Can you elaborate on that please?

[Ferraripilot]

I believe a shorter car means they can make more benefit of the exhaust than teams with a long car can not to mention better use of the fairly standard size diffusers everyone is stuck with now. All of their weight is pushed towards the center of the car too. Clever and very different concept if they can pull it off.

Can you elaborate on that please?

I'm no engineer, but a small car with a standard size diffuser essentially is equivalent to a larger car with a larger diffiuser rather than a large car with the standard diffuser. For example a 1000mm x 1000mm (not exact obviously) diffuser makes more benefit for a car which is 4000mm long rather than a 4500mm long car because the car is smaller and lighter, which further means ballast can be placed where they prefer. I suspect W02 has a higher CG than that of others but better internal balance as everything appears to be tightly packed at the center.

[atanatizante]

Why they couldn't cut the floor in front of the exhaust pipe (like RB does on the side of diffuser next to the tyre) in order to blow underneath? Or maybe partially underneath and another part upon it, like Renault does?

[Ferraripilot]

Because the rules do not allow holes in the floor in most areas

[PlatinumZealot]

Legally they should be able to do a mclaren and cut the floor out. But alas, trying to shoot the exhaust under the floor to energise the diffuser from that distance won't be as effective as just having it right beside the rear tyre like redBull.

IMO, they might as well just keep the floor intact and copy redbull. The W02 exhaust would transition well to that style. Just slap on two titanium pipes and heat shielding, cut out a bit of floor near the diffuser throat, make the diffuser a little narrower, bigger airfoils on the brake ducts, and they should be good to go.

[xpensive]

With Bob Bell on board now, I wonder how he will prioritize his work, hanging around at Sepang? I doubt if we see that.

Staying at Brackley working on the 2012 car? Naah, there's no telling it will be a 2012 car either if the W02 doesn't fly.

But what can he do on the W02, upgrades are more in the aerodynamical side, no?

[bot6]

IMO, they might as well just keep the floor intact and copy redbull. The W02 exhaust would transition well to that style. Just slap on two titanium pipes and heat shielding, cut out a bit of floor near the diffuser throat, make the diffuser a little narrower, bigger airfoils on the brake ducts, and they should be good to go.

Why do so many people just want 24 Red Bulls on the track?

Just because Red Bull took such or such a technical option does not mean that same option would work on another car. The Red Bull car is quick, sure, but it's an integrated package. The rake helps the bendy front and raises the diffuser, which makes their exhaust option the best for them as it prevents air rushing in through the sides if the raised diffuser.

The W02 is not designed to run at such rake, making the cannon exhaust less interesting to them. So the middle-exiting exhaust solution they have might be ideal for this car. It's too late to completely change the design philosophy of the whole car, so Mercedes are better off taking what they have and making it work. The car has shown potential in testing, and they had some major issues with KERS and finding time to set up the car in Oz so we can at least wait another race before calling the reaper on the W02.

Ferrari is the proof that copying Red Bull does not guarantee success: they have the cannon exhaust, and hardly blew everyone out of the water at the last race...

[Rikhart]

It´s absolutely unbelievable how some geniuses have already dubbed this project a complete failure, after one.entire.weekend. And especially one where nothing went right for the team. I think there´s some very nice "gems" being posted that are perfect for a later revisit...

I particularly enjoy the "short-wheelbase, lol" camp. Have you compared the wheelbase between a redbull and a mclaren, for example?

And "copy redbull!!11"? So why not make this a gp2 series, with homologated chassis? Not to mention that I think most havent really understood that the redbull is getting most of its performance from illegal, albeit clever, parts.

[Robbobnob]

^ Member of the "waaaah illegal parts" camp then??

myself am expecting big things this weekend, petronas home gran prix so they need to put on a good show, lets go Rosburg

[Rikhart]

Was that concave bit there? Think it´s new.

[raymondu999]

You mean the bit jutting out under the "n" of Sutton? I think that's just the stoppers for the shelf to hold up the sidepod

[Rikhart]

You mean the bit jutting out under the "n" of Sutton? I think that's just the stoppers for the shelf to hold up the sidepod

Nope, the concave round section above the "S".