Mercedes AMG F1 W03

[aduka11]

Is it me or does Merc exhaust looks bit different ??

[Gerhardsa]

Dont know how you can see from those pics if there are any difference mate?
Back heat protection etc looks the same as previous races. I for one cannot even see the exhaust outlet when zooming in because the pixels get all messed up

[aduka11]

Dont know how you can see from those pics if there are any difference mate?
Back heat protection etc looks the same as previous races. I for one cannot even see the exhaust outlet when zooming in because the pixels get all messed up

But you can see some small silver part on MS exhaust just inch above exhaust.

I dont remember seing it before.

[sponbon]

Correct, Scarbs did indeed mention this is a benefit quite some time ago. Lower ride height can only be a benefit if W03 also has a passive system which runs just off the front nose cone hole. If the super-DRS system is only activated while DRS is activated then they obviously cannot set the ride height lower as the only time it can be used during a race is when passing, so it's business as usual as far as ride height is concerned unless we find out they have a passive system running as well.

I don't necessarily believe this is true.

If you read Alan Permane's comments above, he suggests that the ride height can be lower in the race than in qualyfing.

From my reading of his comments, it appears that the slower speed due to fuel load etc. means less load on the wing and thus increased ride height. Accordingly, qualyfing is the key determinant of ride height, as this is when the cars run lowest, not the race.

Therefore, due to the Double DRS, Mercedes can run a lower ride height for both race and qualy.

Ps. First post. Been a lurker for a while. Love the forum.

[Gerhardsa]

Dont know how you can see from those pics if there are any difference mate?
Back heat protection etc looks the same as previous races. I for one cannot even see the exhaust outlet when zooming in because the pixels get all messed up

But you can see some small silver part on MS exhaust just inch above exhaust.

I dont remember seing it before.

Might be sensors, or vents. Well, maybe not vents, because it'll be an odd place and totally disrupt the airflow goingt to the floor. I dont think there are updates scheduled before Spain.

[Gerhardsa]

Correct, Scarbs did indeed mention this is a benefit quite some time ago. Lower ride height can only be a benefit if W03 also has a passive system which runs just off the front nose cone hole. If the super-DRS system is only activated while DRS is activated then they obviously cannot set the ride height lower as the only time it can be used during a race is when passing, so it's business as usual as far as ride height is concerned unless we find out they have a passive system running as well.

I don't necessarily believe this is true.

If you read Alan Permane's comments above, he suggests that the ride height can be lower in the race than in qualyfing.

From my reading of his comments, it appears that the slower speed due to fuel load etc. means less load on the wing and thus increased ride height. Accordingly, qualyfing is the key determinant of ride height, as this is when the cars run lowest, not the race.

Therefore, due to the Double DRS, Mercedes can run a lower ride height for both race and qualy.

Ps. First post. Been a lurker for a while. Love the forum.

+1
This is how I understand it as well

[Raptor22]

lower ride during qualifying when the fuel load is lowest..?

explain how this can be when they are not allowed to change the ride height from the start of qualifying?

[sponbon]

I admit that it seems counterintuitive.

However, if I am reading Alan Permane's comments correctly, he appears to suggest that the greater speed of a lighter car (with the ensuing increased loads on the wings and thus increased downforce) has a more significant effect on rideheight then fuel load.

I'm not saying I know it to be correct, as I have no information or data to back that up, but it seems to be what he is suggesting.

[Gerhardsa]

lower ride during qualifying when the fuel load is lowest..?

explain how this can be when they are not allowed to change the ride height from the start of qualifying?

As I understand it, from the start of qualy(following through to the race) the ride hight is lower than what it would have been on the Merc if they didnt have the DDRS, because of the "stall" effect the DDRS creates on the F&RW.
Thus they dont "experience" the same type of DF levels that other teams would "experience" during qualy, and becasue of that, they can lower it a bit more.
Now, because the car does not use the DRS as much during a race, most teams will have to compensate the ride hight during qualy (setting it higher) to accomodate the race fuel load to come. (car heavier in race, thus the ride hight will be affected, but by how much, I dont know)
Merc is then less comprimised by this situation because of the lower qualy downforce produced by the DDRS, which means they can get the car closer to the ground than others in qualy and race trim. Hope I explained it ok.
But again..this is how I understand it.

[Raptor22]

I got that part.

The difference in weight between the start of the race and qualifying is around 120Kg (160L at an average density of 750kg/m^3).

Lap time difference is around 5sec from full tanks to qualifying fuel loads?

So the balance has to be struck between the weight of the fuel vs the weight of the air.
We're assuming that Parmaine is speaking from a point of view of running the simulations within Lotus and seeing the benefit but the difference in speed is going to have to be in the order of magnitude of close to 8Km/hr for the effect ot be beneficial.
I can see on lighter tanks the cornerin speed is going to increaseand its perhaps here where the benefit plays out, not at the end of the straight where the top speed form full tanks to low tanks is not that great but is rather a function of total drag

[Byron R]

Correct, Scarbs did indeed mention this is a benefit quite some time ago. Lower ride height can only be a benefit if W03 also has a passive system which runs just off the front nose cone hole. If the super-DRS system is only activated while DRS is activated then they obviously cannot set the ride height lower as the only time it can be used during a race is when passing, so it's business as usual as far as ride height is concerned unless we find out they have a passive system running as well.

I don't necessarily believe this is true.

If you read Alan Permane's comments above, he suggests that the ride height can be lower in the race than in qualyfing.

From my reading of his comments, it appears that the slower speed due to fuel load etc. means less load on the wing and thus increased ride height. Accordingly, qualyfing is the key determinant of ride height, as this is when the cars run lowest, not the race.

Therefore, due to the Double DRS, Mercedes can run a lower ride height for both race and qualy.

Ps. First post. Been a lurker for a while. Love the forum.

U
Might this be why we always see teams adjusting the ride height for qualy3, I would assume parc ferme rules do not apply yet.

[Maelstrom]

Any pics from FP1-2 yet? I'm eager to see if any changes have been made.

[Ferraripilot]

That could be right although don't the cars immediately go into parc ferme after qualifying? If so, they would be stuck with that ride height adjustment made during Q3 for the race which might not be an optimal setting for the tires under heavier fuel.

[raymondu999]

Might this be why we always see teams adjusting the ride height for qualy3, I would assume parc ferme rules do not apply yet.

Parc Ferme starts when the cars roll out in Q1. (if a car rolls out in Q1 with 3 minutes to spare, it is out of parc ferme, until that moment)

[techF1LES]

Sorry guys, nothing technical here (apart from Bite Point Finder activated), but just noticed that Michael has his own clocks in the cockpit...