Mercedes GP W02

[xpensive]

This is where I find MGP lacking in strategy, knowing you're short on Technical management, staff in general, wind-tunnel, simulator and everything but potatochips, why embark on a such a radical design as the W02, spending the entire season to figure it out?

To boldly go where no man's gone before? They could do with a cloaking device if you ask me...

[marcush.]

Is W02 even shorter than last years car?
I have not seen a comparison of 2010/11 yet.

I think the wheelbase as such has nothing to do with their performance .The s..box is just a bit overenthusiastic and not refined enough -lacking expert advise- in detail .
to me it looks like someone was not prepared to give up one mm of wheelbase for packaging refinement and the end result is a amazingly short car with a truckload of heavily compromised systems with the endresult that they cannot derive any useful advantage from the original goal to keep it short.
A classic outcome of a design team out of their depth and adhering to goals they cannot value and quantify against other constraints.
The car is short ,but the poor chap doing the concept completely lost the plot with thermal requirements(!) on the way and had no time to design a nice sidepod let alone a transition to the floor ...let alone a proper exhaust solution...
But had to design a plethora of gills and vents to arrive at a make do solution for the first races...2steps forward...and 2 backwards...net result stagnation.

In design concepts you should always look for win win solutions.If you have tradeoffs and grey areas you are just not there and need to think more about your goals.

I really got the impression these guys started with a wheelbase when drawing up that thing...

[dren]

Let's hope the engineers are steered in the right direction with the W03.

I expect a similar looking car with a longer wheelbase.

[Mr.S]

Most cars have long wheelbase,doesnt mean they are the quickest. Brawn confirmed though that they will be going for a longer wheelbase.

I think the whole manpower issue is severly overhyped & has no major relations in getting basic concepts. NOW this is the make or break time. Not only Bob Bell,but the aero,mechanical & all other guys will have to sit together & finalize the design for next year's car bearing in mind the key areas where they will get performance.


This is the make or break stuff. Any major flaw will severly hamper W03. SEVERLY. The design team has to get the basic concepts right. I think we will get a 4th place like VERY CONVENTIONAL boring design which can be improved though,no radical thinking.

[marcush.]

I certainly don´t buy the short wheelbase is the culprit reasoning.I accept they admit a failure to package the short wheelbase satisfactory.

BUT :Will hot Blowing be important next year?RedBull had a fuel consumption increase of 10% as i heard due to hot blowing.So You need to adjust fueltankvolume to allow or not allow for it.
Mclaren very often needs to turn down the engines ..it looks like the Merc engine might guzzle even more than an extra 10% with the special maps .And with one base map for qualy and race it might not be possible to get rid of extra consumption as well ....but fuel taank size is already decided NOW methinks ..Increasing tank size has impact on length of the car ..or you will increase cof g height variation with fuellevel changes....And you might need to consider a wider tank or have a chance to get away with a narrower one.If you now in September start to throw away work done and lengthen the tank your initial aero work is done...and you start to define new targets

[dren]

The EBDs are banned for next year right? So no hot blowing.

[dren]

This is the make or break stuff. Any major flaw will severly hamper W03. SEVERLY. The design team has to get the basic concepts right. I think we will get a 4th place like VERY CONVENTIONAL boring design which can be improved though,no radical thinking.

That is sort of what I am thinking. Something along the lines of the last two year's Ferraris. "Simple" good performing cars that seem to respond well to upgrades.

[marcush.]

The EBDs are banned for next year right? So no hot blowing.

that one is clear.
But does it makle sense to blow the periscopes and blow the bridgewing or rearwing ? may it be possible or useful to direct exhaust flow INTO the wing profile in the centre unlimited section and blow something like a monkey seat? or a exhaust gas formed virtual gurney of sorts...could well help to create a few pounds of downforce or shed some drag when you are able to switch it on and off by altering the map percentages

If someone like this is going you could well justify to make a fuel allowance in your tanksize.If it´s like spitting into the northsea ..well..

[aral]

The EBDs are banned for next year right? So no hot blowing.

that one is clear.
But does it makle sense to blow the periscopes and blow the bridgewing or rearwing ? may it be possible or useful to direct exhaust flow INTO the wing profile in the centre unlimited section and blow something like a monkey seat? or a exhaust gas formed virtual gurney of sorts...could well help to create a few pounds of downforce or shed some drag when you are able to switch it on and off by altering the map percentages

If someone like this is going you could well justify to make a fuel allowance in your tanksize.If it´s like spitting into the northsea ..well..

My understanding of the new rule for exhausts is that the outlet point is specified and will be at a point where it can have no effect on the rear wing. So presumably outside the endplates. Still, someone might find a way to "bend" the rules.

[Ferraripilot]

The EBDs are banned for next year right? So no hot blowing.

that one is clear.
But does it makle sense to blow the periscopes and blow the bridgewing or rearwing ? may it be possible or useful to direct exhaust flow INTO the wing profile in the centre unlimited section and blow something like a monkey seat? or a exhaust gas formed virtual gurney of sorts...could well help to create a few pounds of downforce or shed some drag when you are able to switch it on and off by altering the map percentages

If someone like this is going you could well justify to make a fuel allowance in your tanksize.If it´s like spitting into the northsea ..well..

I'm sure that's what everyone will do. Blow gases below the upper wing and above the beam wing simply to charge that air creating a low pressure zone thus increasing efficiency of the upper element.

[MIKEY_!]

Like this then:

http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/ ... 4/727.html

[bar555]

Mercedes GP W02 – Further diffuser changes at Spain
http://formula1techandart.wordpress.com ... -at-spain/

[Pierce89]

The EBDs are banned for next year right? So no hot blowing.

that one is clear.
But does it makle sense to blow the periscopes and blow the bridgewing or rearwing ? may it be possible or useful to direct exhaust flow INTO the wing profile in the centre unlimited section and blow something like a monkey seat? or a exhaust gas formed virtual gurney of sorts...could well help to create a few pounds of downforce or shed some drag when you are able to switch it on and off by altering the map percentages

If someone like this is going you could well justify to make a fuel allowance in your tanksize.If it´s like spitting into the northsea ..well..

The exhaust exit location and angle are going to be fixed to avoid the blowing either part of the rear wing, according to what i've read the wording will be very strict. I'm hoping that alone can erase some of the deficit MGP faces going into 2012


edit:Just got this out of the revolving quote box on the main page and laughed at how funny it was considering Shumi never won a WDC again after 04

“I am 35 years old now and appear to be like a good bottle of wine, the older the better.

”Michael Schumacher describes himself , 2004

[dren]

I think the W02 has gained a lot of performance from the exhaust blown diffuser. How much compared to the other teams isn't known. I don't think it will help them move much closer by eliminating it next year.

[Hemsy]

I think the W02 will do very well in Monza, possibly even a podium owing to their straight-line speed coupled with their powerful DRS. If you analyse Merc's performance at Spa you will notice that they were very good in S1 & S3. It was the S2, where downforce is king, that they lost out. My only concern is how good Merc are over the kerbs. If they manage to find a set-up that enables them to be quick there, then Merc could be en route to their best finish of the season.