McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[ernest]

These pics show something that I love about modern as opposed to say pre 1990s F1 especially Mclaren, is that even the bits that the teams use to work on their cars look so beautiful and are so well fabricated. I think in the past there was maybe a bit more soul a bit more chaotic, but it is incredible to see the level of detail that goes into every component know.

[megasyxx]

Is the red really red?

Why is the Mercedes logo now Silver instead of Black?

Why is the center of the 2011 wing not painted silver?

Why does the Bridgestone tyre have flash lines down the middle?

These are awesome questions really!

[lotus7]

These pics show something that I love about modern as opposed to say pre 1990s F1 especially Mclaren, is that even the bits that the teams use to work on their cars look so beautiful and are so well fabricated. I think in the past there was maybe a bit more soul a bit more chaotic, but it is incredible to see the level of detail that goes into every component know.

Seeing that "frame" fixed to the front of the chassis , is it fixed to the chassis via the normal nose cone fixing ?
Then , does anyone know what fixing they use to fix the nose cone - surely not a Dzus ?

[hardingfv32]

Could it be some kind of latch pin design? Insert the nose cone mounting pins and a 45-90 deg of rotation locks or captures the pins.

Are there two or four sockets to rotate in the chassis or does one socket (per side) operate two or more locking mechanisms?

Brian

[Spencifer_Murphy]

New Rear wing for Mclaren. Features a slightly exaggerated camber towards the centre of the main plane.

Also I think there appears to be a small gurney on the trailing edge of the flap. That could have been there from before though

I also read on the BBC's report from practice that they are running a new front wing, haven't seen any pictures yet though.

[Owen.C93]

[mclaren777]

The Mclaren crew playing around with flow viz this morning...

[gridwalker]

The engineers didn't look happy when they saw the camera pointing in that direction : I was watching it in a small iPlayer window and had to stifle a laugh that would have echoed around my office at the time

[PlatinumZealot]

Thanks. Could you enlighten us on the interesting stuff you took?

Nothing that probably hasnt been seen before but just being safe. Stuff a bit closer to the rear with no bodywork on really. Just interesting detail pics. Also the area round the back of the garage where front wings were being constructed, tyres fitted etc.

It's not like they are inviting you again anyway so let us see them..

[PlatinumZealot]

The Mclaren crew playing around with flow viz this morning...

The overlap between the flap and main plane looks smaller than normal to me.

[beelsebob]

Look towards the back/top of the flap – it appears that the air flow is almost being too efficiently thrown upwards – pushed up into the wing in fact, and then appears to trail off backwards from there. Could that affect the levels of downforce generated, and in what way would it affect it? It doesn't strike me as something particularly healthy.

[PlatinumZealot]

The more upward the wake normally indicates that the car is making a whole heap of downforce.

[beelsebob]

The more upward the wake normally indicates that the car is making a whole heap of downforce.

Yes, what I'm getting at is that it's so upward that it hits the wing and becomes very backward instead. That doesn't look great.

[marcush.]

Mclaren struggled to make the medium tyre work it seems Button reporting too much oversteer and turn in understeer ....but their setup worked fine with the soft compound...

[Isak]

The more upward the wake normally indicates that the car is making a whole heap of downforce.

Yes, what I'm getting at is that it's so upward that it hits the wing and becomes very backward instead. That doesn't look great.

I would suggest the air has lost most of it's energy at that point not to do serious harm. Anyway, the bulk of air doesn't hit the wing and thats the most important part.

Although, a lower AoA might decrease drag without that much df loss? Im just guessing here, i have to see another flowviz or cfd to know.