McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes (pre-launch speculation)

[PhillipM]

I don't see the U-pods getting smaller in cross section, rather with the design optimised around the top exhausts - instead of a hasty redesign around the blown diffuser and new manifolds as per the -26 - I could see the rear of the sidepods being much tighter - even to the point of making the sidepods a little taller in compromise, as I don't believe some extra height behind the wheel would hurt quite as much as a conventional sidepod.

[kalinka]

Single diffuser is still there, the airflow to the back remains important, so my list for the MP4-27 is >
U-pods with more undercut towards the back of the car, new lower( and maybe even longer ) gearbox, tighter rear around gearbox, and maybe some fancy stuff around engine cover, especially in the area of exhaust. I wonder how the new exhaust would integrate into U-pod design..possibly they could place the exhaust over the airflow from the U-pod, and seal the flow with exhaust gases from above. Maybe that way the air from U-pods could reach the beam-wing much more undisturbed. On the other hand, I'm afraid that the new exhaust rules would interfere somehow with U-channel vertically...Then U-pods must go for 2012 ? What are your thougts ? Would be nice to see a drawing that places 2012 exhaust area on the MP4-26...

[ringo]

I don't see the U-pods getting smaller in cross section, rather with the design optimised around the top exhausts - instead of a hasty redesign around the blown diffuser and new manifolds as per the -26 - I could see the rear of the sidepods being much tighter - even to the point of making the sidepods a little taller in compromise, as I don't believe some extra height behind the wheel would hurt quite as much as a conventional sidepod.

In order to make the side pods tighter they would have to shorten the foot print of the radiator. That's dificult with the U pods as the radiator angle is low, which makes them have a big foot print.

[beelsebob]

From where I'm sitting, their biggest issue seems to be that the bottom of the U-pod is too low for the bounding box for the exhaust exit; the side is too far out on the car to mount it on the top/end of one. The result is that the only place I can see that they can *legally* mount the exhaust would cause them to block up a large part of the U-pod. I hope the design doesn't go – it's an interesting one, but I think the regs will force their hand.

[Javert]

Xmas, there's time to speculate

Thanks to joseluisf1 (twitter)


This draggy design is not convincing me

[wesley123]

Such idea was mentioned at the beginning of the thread and I canstill not understand how they can fit the radiators in there

[aleks_ader]

Xmas, there's time to speculate

Thanks to joseluisf1 (twitter)


This draggy design is not convincing me

He he wing design!

Photoshop of 4 rear wings and smaller u pods! he he i will call this a "JET" pods

Its quite nice thinking out of box but it is also unuseless

[beelsebob]

Its quite nice thinking out of box but it is also unuseless

Unuseless? Does that make it useful?

I'm in the "if you could fit radiators into that space, 7 teams would be doing something close already" camp.

[scuderiafan]

I doubt McLaren would try that. You have to remember that if you've thought of an idea, somebody else on the team has already thought of it as well.

[beelsebob]

I doubt McLaren would try that. You have to remember that if you've thought of an idea, somebody else on the team has already thought of it as well.

If that were the case, then all F1 cars would already be at their absolute optimum and hence all exactly equal, because everyone on every team will already have thought of every idea and assessed how good they are.

[jordangp]

Unfortunately that particular mock-up wouldn't work. Just inside those intakes there would be the outer edges of the fuel tank. You would need to make the sidepods slightly wider than that, and possibly a second exit further back to be able to sufficiently cool into an unusually angled radiator. However the initial concept is a good idea.

[Javert]

Accordingly to Omnicorse, MP4-27 has already passed crash test ... Very resistent wing-sidepods or a hint that we are talking about nothing

At least they can work with calm on basic aero df ...

[ell66]

Id put money on the sidepods looking prety similar to this year, theyv even hinted as such. Be intresting to see what they do with the gearbox and rear end though.

[beelsebob]

Id put money on the sidepods looking prety similar to this year, theyv even hinted as such. Be intresting to see what they do with the gearbox and rear end though.

Agreed – as far as I can see the packaging at the rear is the biggest problem on the -26. We know they can lower the gearbox down a chunk after last year's exhaust fad, and I suspect that the packaging could be yet tighter than they managed to get it this year.

[aleks_ader]

Sorry admin plese delete this post! my mistake! Sorry thanks!