Red Bull RB8 Renault

[Twaddle]

Looks like McLaren's side pod does not really start to tapper until it reaches the exhaust outlet.

Aero significance of a flatter outside surface on the sidepod? Helps with the aiming of the exhaust?

Brian

I think so. A couple of pages back I posted some thoughts on how the RB sidepod philosophy makes it difficult to get the exhaust to go towards the outside of the diffuser. Looking at their pace today though, it's either working better than it looked in quali or it's going to be bad news for everyone else if they do get it working.

[n_anirudh]

[Coefficient]

Looks like McLaren's side pod does not really start to tapper until it reaches the exhaust outlet.

Aero significance of a flatter outside surface on the sidepod? Helps with the aiming of the exhaust?

Brian

The exhaust bulge is deceptive from above, the sidepods actually taper much earlier in the undercut below the bulge. This above shot doesn't reveal the undercut profile. Viewed from the side the MP4 27 taper is quite extreme which is why the sidepods are quite tall at the front.

[Joie de vivre]

can you tell me what difference would it make if nose looked like this:



how are current noses more safe efficient than that above?

[beelsebob]

can you tell me what difference would it make if nose looked like this:



how are current noses more safe efficient than that above?

They aren't – but they had to specify the maximum height somehow, and a bounding box was how they did it. They've already hinted that next year they may bring forward the low nose tip rule from 2014, to get rid of the ugly noses and make McLaren's design the optimal.

[Joie de vivre]

it seems to me those guys at FIA don't have everything in order in their heads. they keep changing rules year after year. bunch of morons. how couldn't they see that almost everyone will be running steped nose due to achieve higher downforce

[raymondu999]

I think they were aware - IIRCthe reason the rules are as they are is that there were teams who said they wanted to maintain their old chassis.

[GrizzleBoy]

it seems to me those guys at FIA don't have everything in order in their heads. they keep changing rules year after year. bunch of morons. how couldn't they see that almost everyone will be running steped nose due to achieve higher downforce

I dont see how this is a moronic rule.

The noses need to be below a certain level in order to protect the lives of the drivers. It's got hardly anything to do with aero.

I certainly dont want to see any side on collisions where the tip of the nose of a car is high enough to make direct contact with the helmet of another driver.

[aral]

it seems to me those guys at FIA don't have everything in order in their heads. they keep changing rules year after year. bunch of morons. how couldn't they see that almost everyone will be running steped nose due to achieve higher downforce

I dont see how this is a moronic rule.

The noses need to be below a certain level in order to protect the lives of the drivers. It's got hardly anything to do with aero.

I certainly dont want to see any side on collisions where the tip of the nose of a car is high enough to make direct contact with the helmet of another driver.

We are a little off topic here, but it needs to be said. The way that FIA mandated the lower nose backfired. The step was neccessary for those who had a high front buulkhead, BUT... compare the side view of last years ferrari and this years. The TIP of the nose is actually higher than last year! This is due to the top now being horizontal rather than sloping. Other cars also have higher tips.
So much for trying to minimise the risk of a nose striking another driver.

[siskue2005]

I think they were aware - IIRCthe reason the rules are as they are is that there were teams who said they wanted to maintain their old chassis.

according to espnstar
it was RBR and STR who vetoed the decision to lower the chassis
guess they dont want to see their superiority taken away

[GrizzleBoy]

it seems to me those guys at FIA don't have everything in order in their heads. they keep changing rules year after year. bunch of morons. how couldn't they see that almost everyone will be running steped nose due to achieve higher downforce

I dont see how this is a moronic rule.

The noses need to be below a certain level in order to protect the lives of the drivers. It's got hardly anything to do with aero.

I certainly dont want to see any side on collisions where the tip of the nose of a car is high enough to make direct contact with the helmet of another driver.

We are a little off topic here, but it needs to be said. The way that FIA mandated the lower nose backfired. The step was neccessary for those who had a high front buulkhead, BUT... compare the side view of last years ferrari and this years. The TIP of the nose is actually higher than last year! This is due to the top now being horizontal rather than sloping. Other cars also have higher tips.
So much for trying to minimise the risk of a nose striking another driver.

Cant disagree with that. The noses also seem to be "pointier" too.

[i70q7m7ghw]

I dont see how this is a moronic rule.

The noses need to be below a certain level in order to protect the lives of the drivers. It's got hardly anything to do with aero.

I certainly dont want to see any side on collisions where the tip of the nose of a car is high enough to make direct contact with the helmet of another driver.

We are a little off topic here, but it needs to be said. The way that FIA mandated the lower nose backfired. The step was neccessary for those who had a high front buulkhead, BUT... compare the side view of last years ferrari and this years. The TIP of the nose is actually higher than last year! This is due to the top now being horizontal rather than sloping. Other cars also have higher tips.
So much for trying to minimise the risk of a nose striking another driver.

Cant disagree with that. The noses also seem to be "pointier" too.

And harder too, so they pass the crash test with the reduced structure. They are now basically big darts.

[hardingfv32]

Isn't the nose height going lower next year. This is just a transition to that.

Brian

[Nando]

The noses need to be below a certain level in order to protect the lives of the drivers. It's got hardly anything to do with aero.

But the rule does not work. The Ferrari nose tip is actually higher this year.

So safety is worse then last year. They should implement the 2014 rule of keeping noses below the horizontal center of the wheel.

[King Six]

can you tell me what difference would it make if nose looked like this:



how are current noses more safe efficient than that above?

They aren't – but they had to specify the maximum height somehow, and a bounding box was how they did it. They've already hinted that next year they may bring forward the low nose tip rule from 2014, to get rid of the ugly noses and make McLaren's design the optimal.

I don't think it's that difficult:


All the FIA need to do is move the yellow box further forward. This will allow the teams to create a much more gentle slope whilst still having the same monocoque regulations, yet having a low safe nose.

There was no need for the FIA to have such a rearward exlusion zone, surely?

Let me crudely illustrate:



Of course, you can still make a step nose with this rule too, but I would really doubt the teams would do that and rather just make a slope like I did, instead.

I am intrigued about this though, is there any issues with what I've done that the FIA thought about before?