Mercedes AMG F1 W03 (pre-launch speculation)

[dren]

1.About the first point, indeed some people on other forums are speaking about this innovation. It`s about a radiator which has a tear drop shape. Sam Bird already insinuate something about this radiator after the Abu Dhabi test ...

Tear drop shaped radiator...can you elaborate on that?

[aral]

1.About the first point, indeed some people on other forums are speaking about this innovation. It`s about a radiator which has a tear drop shape. Sam Bird already insinuate something about this radiator after the Abu Dhabi test ...

Tear drop shaped radiator...can you elaborate on that?

More home designers? A teardrop shape would be unlikely to work, due to the need to have uniform cooling over the entire shape. Narrow any part down, and you will get a hot spot. As cooling is already marginal to poor, I fail to see how on earth such a design would be feasible.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Maybe that's why people are suspecting it to be a radicle solution?

Is there any pictures of mercedes radiator layout on the W02, for a comparison?
Double radiators, and now a tear drop solution? Hmm

You could see the benefits of such a system on the shape of the car, especially when viewed from above.

Perhaps the hot spot is exposed to more incoming air or mercedes have a workable solution, you cannot be 100% dismissive at this point.

[munudeges]

Not too sure why some people were assuming that some had suggested that Mercedes should be getting a 2012 car out for the Young Driver's test. How could they? As Marcush has said you sensibly get the car out and developed in small stages and at least make sure that if you're going to switch the exhausts around you get the car to work in the way that it will likely work next year. Pretty basic.

I agree with X in that Geoff Willis has probably walked in there, rolled his eyes and re-evaluated the whole car. There would be no reason for them to miss the first test especially with even more limited test time given the time they've had. It's not something any team does lightly. McLaren did it last year to develop a supposedly brilliant innovation and their car was a disaster and they only retrieved the situation by copying Red Bull's exhaust system well.

I look forward to seeing them actually come up with something sensible for a change.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The assumption is wrong. The car tested in Abu dhabi had standard cooling, as per the normal W02.

Bird intimated that something "radicle" was in the works, and not actually on his car.

[xpensive]

Geoff Willis might be a lot of things, I don't know the man, but I'd be surprised out of my socks if he had figured out a radiator smarter than anyone at Koyo, Behr, or whoever is designing and building the components these days, ever could?

Naah, I believe there's something more fundamental, I think mun is correct, Willis took the concept from the beginning.

[Mr.S]

Fry was once the Technical Director of the team & now looks after the marketing activities of the team. So while he may no more have any input on the technical side of things, a lot can still be picked up from him about what is going on behind the scenes at Merc. As regard to testing, yes, while nothing can substitute real world testing, today's testing restrictions make a good simulator paramount in order to be competitive. This is one of the reasons why every top team which include Ferrari, Merc & now even Renault is investing in a state of the art simulator.

Can you differentiate between Pat & Nick Fry??? Nick Fry & technical direction dont go hand in hand. Besides it will be an even bigger disaster then.

Bob with Costa & Willis under him is fine. Bigois is already too much of an extra & Brawn as Team Prinicipal is also former Technical Director as well.

Now even Fry will give technical direction.

Simulation is a virtual & idealistic world & nothing can simulation marbles,tyres over-heating or reliability issues which happen on the ground. For me simulation will remain a joke compared to pure real testing lap after lap in a race track. I will keep it these. Only time will tell. I will wait & see if Willis has a killer idea.

Nick Fry & not Pat was TD when Honda owned the team. His disastrous spell was put to an end however when the team hired Brawn. He was later moved to a more business (marketing) oriented role.

Do you even bother to check up before you write a pile of ---??

Nick Fry was always the Chief Executive.

Honda bought the team in 2004,part & full in 2005. In 2006 the team raced as Honda Racing Formula1. During these years Willis was the Technical Director but after the failure of the 2006 car Shuhei Nagamoto was installed as TD & Mariano Alperin-Bruvera as Chief Aerodynamicis. Willis left soon after.

In 2007 Brawn joined the team as Team Principal. The Brawn GP of 2009 for which Brawn is credited for,had a technical director by the name Zander,if you are not familiar.

Nick Fry was the Managing Director from 2002 to 2004 in Bar Honda & Chief Executive Officer thereafter from 2004 & to the present.

Please dont post trash so confidently.

[munudeges]

Ah yes, the 'radical' innovation that Mercedes is going to have, causing them to miss the first test, which will propel them right to the top............

[xpensive]

Ah yes, the 'radical' innovation that Mercedes is going to have, causing them to miss the first test, which will propel them right to the top............

Now that's outright mean mun, just consider all the secret quick-fixes of the past, like err...ah, the DDD?

[marcush.]

that bit i really really hope is now in place.
I ´m pretty sure the right guys with carte blanche will come up with a competitive car ,no doubt about it.
25% less testing will not turn a killer concept into something mediocre.
My point simply was:considering Newey is the guy with the best ideas you need simply need to be early on your route and better not take any dead end roads .

So were MGP esarly enough switching their campaign towards 2012? I believe a proper solution would have been to test new concepts for 2012 during the race weekends ...I know they did some of that ,but was it enough?

Very clearly the new regs are opening new roads of interpretation as always and Willis or Costa have possibly come up or snapped up something during 2011 and brought this to the MGP table and Bell Brawn and Bigois dropped their jars as they had a too conservative line of thought?

[jav]

I'd like to believe the delay is the result of a new set of eyes, epiphany and/or change of direction but I fear that's wishful thinking. If you recall, Brawn stated long ago that 2013 would be the year they could mount a challenge.

I want MGP to succeed sooner rather than later but it seems that for each bit of hopeful news of new strong technical contributers, there is a persistent "weak" overtone for the objective which says- don't expect too much.

I find it hard to accept that given the last 2 seasons, they would "choose" to forego 33% of testing as a planned course. I'm more inclined to believe they can't accomplish what they want in time for the first test. Spin it any way you want - but missing the first milestone, while explainable and perhaps necessary, is rarely cause to rejoice.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Ah yes, the 'radical' innovation that Mercedes is going to have, causing them to miss the first test, which will propel them right to the top............

who said anything about the innovation "propelling them to the top"?

Trolling again...sigh

[wesley123]

Ah yes, the 'radical' innovation that Mercedes is going to have, causing them to miss the first test, which will propel them right to the top............

who said anything about the innovation "propelling them to the top"?

Trolling again...sigh

What he means is that every year they are saying the same, but they never succeed in doing what they say.

[scuderiafan]

I think maybe Mercedes needs to actually develop a decent cooling system in the first place. IIRC, they had cooling problems early in the season.

In my opinon, radical designs aren't worth it. Look at the RB5/6/7. Nothing radical about them (though one could argue the EBD and flexi-wing were) and they were dominant. This is really a statement on the development of a chassis, if Mercedes can build a car that is good in all areas, and not great in some and marginal in others, they will begin to find success.

[munudeges]

Well what's all this about Sam Bird 'hinting' at something 'radicle' which of course, I doubt he'll be privy to as a fairly minor test driver? Where on Earth do people who are dredging for this kind of material vainly hope that such scraps will really get them?