Mercedes GP W02

[bot6]

If you look closely, the opening doesn't widen at the back. It stays at pretty much constant area, with the vertical slit shape of the engine cover slowly morphing into a horizontal oval as you move backwards.

The section itself, though, stays pretty much constant in area.

By the way, shouldn't RB7 features be discussed in the RB7 thread?

[Ferraripilot]

Well we know very well that Mercedes will not be trumpeting updates like they did last year.

Whats telling is what Rosberg has said:

We are just extracting the best from the car now," he said. "Set-up, basic things even, just coming together, understanding better – an example is big chunks of time from basic springs and parts. So that is good. It is not everything, a small bit, but there are bits and pieces everywhere."

And Dr Zetsche's presence must have added at least 0.5 seconds to the W02!

They must know something everyone else doesn't as I am still mystified by the seemingly ancient front wing they are running. It seriously looks like a relic of the 70s compared to what the front runners are using. That being said, it would make a very handsome wall decoration.

[jav]

You guys seem to omit an important factor for the good performance in China - The Big Boss himself was there. And not only him.

Yeah but wasn't Sepang, Petronas' home race? If they were looking to impress the big boss- I would think Sepang would have been the place to do it... especially after the Australia fiasco.

[volarchico]

Wasn't the biggest change for them that China was cooler so they didn't have heat issues?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Wasn't the biggest change for them that China was cooler so they didn't have heat issues?

Yes cooler conditions helped the W02. But it didnt solve the issue as they still ran gapping holes to cool the car.

[bot6]

For qualifying and the race, they used the shark vents on top of the exhaust, not the big hole.

[marcush.]

they were 5to 6kg short on fuel with Rosberg what a fail... would I ever base my fuel calculation on my driver being slow anyways and help him by giving him 5 kilo less fuel?
I seriously doubt the base for this kind of logic.If i´m slow I´m slow .the gain
coming from a mariginally lower fuelload will not really be much and not a deciding factor.But to cut off one leg even before the race is just idiotic and i was really surprised teams gambling with low fuelloads and fuelsaving in a competitive environment...If you know you won´t need it ,ok ..but if I got a car that is capable of doing the distance on full song than I fill her up to make it possible.
If my elapsed time for the extra fuel filled in will not improve ,I ´m simply to slow and there is no reason to be upset.

[godlameroso]

In my line of tinkering, it's common knowledge that running richer generates more power to a point, after that point the gas actually cools the engine, because not all the gasoline burns, and evaporates taking heat away with it(which is funny because gasoline vapors are the most flammable). Running lean conserves gas, and reduces power to a point, after that point, it makes the engine run hot.

[jav]

they were 5to 6kg short on fuel with Rosberg what a fail... would I ever base my fuel calculation on my driver being slow anyways and help him by giving him 5 kilo less fuel?
I seriously doubt the base for this kind of logic.If i´m slow I´m slow .the gain
coming from a mariginally lower fuelload will not really be much and not a deciding factor.But to cut off one leg even before the race is just idiotic and i was really surprised teams gambling with low fuelloads and fuelsaving in a competitive environment...If you know you won´t need it ,ok ..but if I got a car that is capable of doing the distance on full song than I fill her up to make it possible.
If my elapsed time for the extra fuel filled in will not improve ,I ´m simply to slow and there is no reason to be upset.

I agree whole heartedly! I wonder if Merc had been running a conservative engine mapping because of the inadequate cooling. They may have gotten to China and figured- it's cooler, and this is the third race on this engine...screw it- give it full power and hope it holds togther for the whole race. This may have caused them to under estimate the fuel consumption if they hadn't tested at full power in a race simulation?

This might explain both the fuel shortage AND the pace increase.

[Ferraripilot]

they were 5to 6kg short on fuel with Rosberg what a fail... would I ever base my fuel calculation on my driver being slow anyways and help him by giving him 5 kilo less fuel?
I seriously doubt the base for this kind of logic.If i´m slow I´m slow .the gain
coming from a mariginally lower fuelload will not really be much and not a deciding factor.But to cut off one leg even before the race is just idiotic and i was really surprised teams gambling with low fuelloads and fuelsaving in a competitive environment...If you know you won´t need it ,ok ..but if I got a car that is capable of doing the distance on full song than I fill her up to make it possible.
If my elapsed time for the extra fuel filled in will not improve ,I ´m simply to slow and there is no reason to be upset.

I agree whole heartedly! I wonder if Merc had been running a conservative engine mapping because of the inadequate cooling. They may have gotten to China and figured- it's cooler, and this is the third race on this engine...screw it- give it full power and hope it holds togther for the whole race. This may have caused them to under estimate the fuel consumption if they hadn't tested at full power in a race simulation?

This might explain both the fuel shortage AND the pace increase.

Detuned ignition and fuel mapping is most definitely be the case here. Mid-range mapping can make a noteable difference in heat and consumption. I suspect in Sepang they can the car rich in the name of cooling purposes, but had to back off some timing at certain rev ranges to try and control heat.

Is MB using MB made ECUs for the mapping? Or Motec or the like? (I love Motec's units!)

[RacingManiac]

McLaren's ECU is standard in F1....you can tune your own map via it but the ECU is supplied by McLaren. So teams cannot run some kind of hidden traction control....

[marcush.]

i don´t think it was a miscalculation in terms of running a richer map.If so they could have reverted to the lean one and still have given Rosberg green light for full attack,right?

I don´t think we have given the full picture.I beleive they had to run rich for making the engine survive...
Schumacher conspiciously avoided running in slipstream in his fights catching fresh air as much as he could.He did that in a ways you could interpret this as showing yourself in the opponents mirrors but to me it was aimed at helping the engine cooling..just a thought..so maybe they had filled up but needed the fuel ssimply to stay alive after closing the big holes in the sidepods to shed drag?

[roadwarrior]

There was also a radio message to MSC asking him to lift and coast into the braking zones. IIRC that was relatively early into the race. At the time Brundle thought it may have to do with brake temps but perhaps it was for fuel saving too.

[i70q7m7ghw]

There was also a radio message to MSC asking him to lift and coast into the braking zones. IIRC that was relatively early into the race. At the time Brundle thought it may have to do with brake temps but perhaps it was for fuel saving too.

I'm not quite sure how coasting in to braking zones would help brake temps? I would have though an adjustment to the brake bias and earlier braking...

[volarchico]

Because "coasting" in F1 has been described as similar to running into a brick wall in a regular car. With the large amounts of drag, you can scrub off a considerable amount of speed before even having to touch the brakes, thus putting less energy and heat into them.