McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[raymondu999]

Actually I've just been rewatching quali. Even the HRT could DRS through 130.

[beelsebob]

Actually I've just been rewatching quali. Even the HRT could DRS through 130.

Odd... Listening to the McLaren's engine noise from onboards, they were definitely lifting very slightly.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... ualifying/

See 1:08:02 – lewis closes his DRS on the way into 130r.

I guess that HRT even can do this is maybe even more indicative – McLaren's rear wing is presumably dumping *way* more downforce than anyone else's. Is it also dumping more drag?

[raymondu999]

I'm not in the UK sorry. Maybe you can tell me which Q session it was and the time left? I have my own recording of quali

[raymondu999]

Heikki flat through 130R in quali with DRS open, easy for Vettel but good effort in our car, brave

Kobayashi in Q2:

[beelsebob]

I'm not in the UK sorry. Maybe you can tell me which Q session it was and the time left? I have my own recording of quali

Q1, 12:00 remaining on the clock as it snaps shut.

Just entering 130r:

In 130r:

[raymondu999]

Yes I saw that too. But others on the options could do it (Sauber/Lotus) so they must have been able to do it; or maybe just not confident enough to do it

[beelsebob]

Yes I saw that too. But others on the options could do it (Sauber/Lotus) so they must have been able to do it; or maybe just not confident enough to do it

I'm not convinced by "must have been able to do it" – if their DRS dumps more DF than anyone else's it's entirely conceivable that they couldn't.

[raymondu999]

Fair enough. I'll have a look see on what else I can find

[beelsebob]

Fair enough. I'll have a look see on what else I can find

Note this would also seem to be supported by McLaren drivers seemingly getting onto the DRS later in acceleration zone corners than RBR drivers do.

Interestingly, I just checked the regulations, and I see nothing stopping a team having a system that can open the DRS to any amount between fully closed and fully open. I wonder why no team has made a DRS that can be opened gradually as they leave a corner. More so, I also don't see anything in the rules that says that it must *only* be the driver in the loop for activating the DRS, surely something tied to car speed could be used to crudely open the flap gradually as they exit a corner. I'm pretty sure that if you opened it based on wheel slip you'd fall foul of tech reg 9.3 (banning traction control), but I don't see anything to stop using car speed to not allow it to snap open immediately in a fast corner. I certainly don't see anything preventing (for example) a second button that would only half open the flap.

[simieski]

Fair enough. I'll have a look see on what else I can find

Note this would also seem to be supported by McLaren drivers seemingly getting onto the DRS later in acceleration zone corners than RBR drivers do.

Interestingly, I just checked the regulations, and I see nothing stopping a team having a system that can open the DRS to any amount between fully closed and fully open. I wonder why no team has made a DRS that can be opened gradually as they leave a corner. More so, I also don't see anything in the rules that says that it must *only* be the driver in the loop for activating the DRS, surely something tied to car speed could be used to crudely open the flap gradually as they exit a corner. I'm pretty sure that if you opened it based on wheel slip you'd fall foul of tech reg 9.3 (banning traction control), but I don't see anything to stop using car speed to not allow it to snap open immediately in a fast corner. I certainly don't see anything preventing (for example) a second button that would only half open the flap.

3.18.1
Any alteration of the incidence of the uppermost closed section may only be
commanded by direct driver input and controlled using the control electronics specified in Article 8.2

8.2 harps on about only being allowed to use fia specified and homologated sensors, actuators etc, so I guess in some way this would prevent teams being able to use an RVDT or similar on a control lever to partially deploy DRS.

[beelsebob]

Fair enough. I'll have a look see on what else I can find

Note this would also seem to be supported by McLaren drivers seemingly getting onto the DRS later in acceleration zone corners than RBR drivers do.

Interestingly, I just checked the regulations, and I see nothing stopping a team having a system that can open the DRS to any amount between fully closed and fully open. I wonder why no team has made a DRS that can be opened gradually as they leave a corner. More so, I also don't see anything in the rules that says that it must *only* be the driver in the loop for activating the DRS, surely something tied to car speed could be used to crudely open the flap gradually as they exit a corner. I'm pretty sure that if you opened it based on wheel slip you'd fall foul of tech reg 9.3 (banning traction control), but I don't see anything to stop using car speed to not allow it to snap open immediately in a fast corner. I certainly don't see anything preventing (for example) a second button that would only half open the flap.

3.18.1
Any alteration of the incidence of the uppermost closed section may only be
commanded by direct driver input and controlled using the control electronics specified in Article 8.2

8.2 harps on about only being allowed to use fia specified and homologated sensors, actuators etc, so I guess in some way this would prevent teams being able to use an RVDT or similar on a control lever to partially deploy DRS.

Ah well spotted on 3.18.1, I hadn't seen that last bit in there reading through...

[raymondu999]

Why not slow the actuator down? You then press it earlier, but only hitting the full open stance when you would normally have opened it

[beelsebob]

Why not slow the actuator down? You then press it earlier, but only hitting the full open stance when you would normally have opened it

I'm pretty sure the "direct" part of the driver input would ban that... Though, surely you could then have a paddle, that commands the actuator... Of course that's assuming that the provided actuator can be controlled in any way... Many such actuators will be specifically designed to ping open/closed very fast.

[Intego]

It's been discussed around here at the start of the season. Some had seen different actuation speeds either between different cars or between Free Practice and/or Qualifying and race in order to open DRS either abruptly or smoothly. But it was never that slow that someone would have used only half of DRS for more than two meters ...

[Mchamilton]

im sure ted kravits said something about the RBR DRS still producing decent downforce in the open position, where as the mclaren's is designs to produce maximum efficient downforce when close, but be completely stalled and dump the maximum drag when opened