Mercedes GP W02

[Adamski]

If the reason for their rear tyre problems were as simple as they were blowing xhaust gasses on them, it's simply unfathomable if it took this team 8 races to figure that out! More than that, fuc**ng unfathomable!

To be honest, it is exactly how you say Xpensive: fuc**ng unfathomable.
But I can say, if they need 8 or 10 races to better understand their car and they need this time to get out the maximum of the package and go for podium finishes, than you know what? I don't mind this time.

About the radiators:



From this picture looks like it's the old one.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

4. Exhaust position could have been heating the rear tire sidewalls a bit.

This is what I think along with the other reason AMuS are putting forward.
Of course the blown exhaust Mercedes W02 had wont be the sole reason for the tyres going off, the SWB will have something to say aqbout that too.
But My point is that this heat disspiation on the tyre rubber from the exhaust cant have helped the situation any.

The strakes to keep the heat inboard were rudimentary, and only added after race 5 I understand, so there was obviously some effort to keep the heat away from the tyres.

Now the W02 seems to have lost its exhaust and gills, its givinmg Mercedes more oppurtunity to play with some Downforce goodies at the rear of the car that we have already seen posted. But, like anything, there will be no magic bullet and only steady progress from here on in.

There on twitter on of my feeds suggest Mercedes will have some new bits on the rear of the W02 in Deutschland for their "home race". Even after these are added I only expect Mercedes to be 4th fastest JUST ahead of a mightily impressive Sauber squad.

[dren]

Has anyone else heard anything about the coupled suspension Mercedes is running?

[Ferraripilot]

Has anyone else heard anything about the coupled suspension Mercedes is running?

I know nothing about it. Do tell

[mantikos]

Has anyone else heard anything about the coupled suspension Mercedes is running?

I know nothing about it. Do tell

It was discussed last page

[Ferraripilot]

Has anyone else heard anything about the coupled suspension Mercedes is running?

I know nothing about it. Do tell

It was discussed last page

Ah ha. I know what we're talking about then. That being said, I have heard nothing in regards to how it performed but I assume since Ferrari changed to a similar setup that it was the right thing to do.

[Pierce89]

X I refer to my post previous to the last one.

If you have a technical angle, I'm willing to hear it. If your just going to bash, then I'm switching off.
I posted this and didn't pm you because I'd really like to know how mercedes seemed to overcome some of their tyre wear.

Mercedes blowing the top of the floor and then small deflectors helping to wash the hot air in board was rudimentary, do you not think there was some "spillage" with regard to air escaping the catchment?
And by so doing heating the rears more than their competitors leading to faster tyre degredation?

Mercedes have very fast starts, could that be a spin off of the rubber being heated quicker too?

JET, I truly love you and your contributions to F1T, but damn you for always taking an emotional and defensive position whenever it comes to Mercedes!

If the reason for their rear tyre problems were as simple as they were blowing xhaust gasses on them, it's simply unfathomable if it took this team 8 races to figure that out! More than that, fuc**ng unfathomable!

I also like JET, but get irritated with how defensive he is over this team, who are obviously not performing where they should. I also don;t believe MERCEDES I repeat MERCEDES would purposely disadvantage themselves by running a much smaller budget than the other top teams as JET often claims. On the technical front the new exhaust LOOKED very much a first effort. I expect much refinement in Germany.

[ForMuLaOne]

...

But My point is that this heat disspiation on the tyre rubber from the exhaust cant have helped the situation any.

....well, to my mind this could be an explanation for this very good winter-test performance where they were VERY fast. With "tyre heating" on board they were much faster in conditions where temperature was around 2°C or sth. Then they realised tyre degradation, added the small flow directers. To me they wanted to be a hundred percent certain that tyre problems are not related to the suspension or set up, one thing they tried at china as far as i can remember. Because they wanted to compensate the problem by changing the set up and suspension before....his is just my opinion. What do you think? I believe they will do good (well...better... from now on.

[luca]

[...]
But as well as the promise delivered by the race pace of the cars, Brawn feels that the new exhaust configuration offers much more development potential in the forthcoming races.

"We are on a new path with the exhaust system," he explained. "With the system we had before we had explored most of the potential of it, and we were finding it very difficult to make progress."

"The new exhaust system is quite encouraging because we are seeing greater levels of potential with the new system than we saw with the old system.

"Our challenge – and we haven't proven it yet – is to get over the reliability issues, and the installation issues. It wasn't helped with the changes in engine mapping which have come along right in the middle of our project, but if is generally positive."

Brawn feels that as well as the straight benefit from the improved diffuser performance, there will be other upgrades that can further benefit lap time.

"We can see potential in the system, but more important we have things coming which will take more and more advantage of this technology and this approach."

"We are reasonably optimistic. I am optimistic we will find some good advances with the system."
[...]

Full article here: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93050

[dren]

Well that is good to see. I wonder what new things he thinks will take advantage of the exhaust. Maybe a different rake or better interior packaging?

[Carlo's]

Interesting thing is that Renault says similar things about rearwards facing exhaust (RBR style).

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Does make you wonder, why mercedes took 5 months to even try the idea.

[dren]

Does make you wonder, why mercedes took 5 months to even try the idea.

They knew the exhaust would be banned next year. They probably have had the solution, or a similar solution in the works for a long while. Mercedes has had teething problems since day one of testing. This was forseen and the reason why they ran with the simple car to sort out reliability issues in testing. (This leads me to believe they have quite a few new systems internally). These issues still spilled over into the season. The team is getting a better understanding of the car and fixing everything that will spill over to next year's evolution.

The bright side to finally seeing this exhaust update is that it probably means the team has figured out most of the cooling and reliability issues internally. They probably have a better idea of how to set up the coupled suspension (if indeed they have such a thing).

This rear exhaust is probably just a means to secure 4th in the championship and the money with it...also giving them the ability to understand some of the thinking that went behind the Red Bull car's design.

[marcush.]

One would think that all teams at least came up with the the major concepts and made an evaluation of forward midship ,cannon style and difusser hole blowing .
Renault and Mercedes ending up the sole fighters for their idea (even if HRT has copied Mercedes) and Mclaren coming up with something completely different but unable to make it raceworthy.

It looks like both Renault and Mercedes did not really value everything correctly and put their money on the wrong horse without properly evaluating the RBR possibility.

[xpensive]

One would think that all teams at least came up with the the major concepts and made an evaluation of forward midship ,cannon style and difusser hole blowing.
...

Come now marcush, you can't ask for too much with only a 400 staff...