Mercedes AMG F1 W03

[Raptor22]

The monkey seat is about keeping flow attached to the underside of the rear wing. Cascade wings are about downfornce and deflecting flow around the front tires. It's conceivable that their Daffy Duct, and all of its constituent parts, does the job of those now-omitted parts. If so, that's great for Mercedes, as it means less drag.

EDIT: Maybe we've been wrong about the Daffy Duct all along. Perhaps opening the DRS flap actually stops air venting under the front wing rather than activating said venting. Consider the following:

Scarbs says this about Red Bull's blown starter motor hole:

The middle section of diffuser where the SMH lies, is the steepest and thus the most difficult to keep flow attached to. Blowing the SMH acts like an extra slot in a wing, it adds energy to the flow and keeps the flow attached to prevent separation\stalling.

If air collected from the nose scoop is vented on the underside of the front wing at all times, that vented air would help keep the flow attached by the same principle Scarbs described above. So, it would seem that stopping such venting would then stall the front wing.

That would allow for running a higher AoA that wouldn't ordinarily be possible because of both flow separation and the added drag penalty. The Daffy Duct could eliminate those concerns if it's applied as I've just proposed. (Who needs cascades and their drag then?) Air can also be vented under the rear wing for the same reason - that's still allowed, by the way - and it would eliminate the need for a monkey seat and its resultant drag.

Forgive me if this has already been proposed. I don't give a ton of attention to this thread.

I agree with you. This was discussed earlier in the thread when we had the ding dong is it isn't it debate.

[bhall]

It certainly makes more sense than how the Daffy Duct has been described thus far. "Theory B" makes a much bigger impact during races, and it doesn't require the frankly absurd notion that air flow collected at the rear wing can be ducted alllll the way to the front of the car and still have enough energy to do anything meaningful when it gets there.

Of course, I never believed the latter. I just couldn't figure out how the DRS slots could be used as a fluidic valve if they're function is essentially to turn an F-duct system off rather than on, as is the case for "Theory A."

[Mestrades]

The reason why Mercedes isn't updating the car in terms of downforce/aerodynamics...

Interview on SkyTV:

Mercedes has revealed that it is bucking the traditional push to prioritise aerodynamic improvements to its car - because it believes there is a bigger benefit to be had from better tyre management.

While its major rivals – including McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing – have all brought a series of big aero updates over the last few races, Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn says his team has put attention instead on other facets of its car.

"We have been focusing on tyre usage, tyre management and tyre control, and things related to that," he said ahead of the British Grand Prix.

"It has become clear that there is no doubt pure aero downforce helps, but given some of the disparity between lap times of the cars, it is less significant than using the tyres properly.

"So we have done quite a lot of work on the variables that we can control with regard to the tyres. This could be quite a challenging weekend with the weather, so getting the tyres working in cold conditions and getting the wets to work properly is we think a vital part of the weekend."

Brawn thinks that the nature of the season, with the battle at the front of the field closer than it has been for years and tyres playing such an important role, means that the 2012 development race will not be as usual this year.

"The developments are of a different nature," he said. "Perhaps in previous years it has been a simple equation of let's find some more downforce, let's have less drag and some more efficiency, and you always go faster. But this year, if that is not of the right characteristics, you may find the benefits are not so good.

"To perhaps give you a pointer, in qualifying in Valencia it was incredibly close with I don't know how many cars within a couple of tenths of a second – and it is highly unlikely that all those cars had the same downforce.

"So there are other parameters which are coming into force, which we have to understand and we have to find ways of unlocking.

"I think the development will be critical, but it will perhaps develop in different ways – maybe with suspension geometry. Perhaps how you manage tyre temperature and other factors will come into play, other than perhaps the traditional ones we have had in previous years."

[elf341]

While I see Ross Brawn's point about the 2 tenths and the most likely differing downforce levels, has he forgotten that the W02 was around a second a lap quicker than the competition at the first test in Jerez (which being a 2011 car has around 15-25% more downforce than a 2012 car) . That is on 2012 tyres.

[spadeflush]

The monkey seat's back!

[mantikos]

The monkey seat's back!

Phew...nice...sanity makes an apperance

[siskue2005]

While I see Ross Brawn's point about the 2 tenths and the most likely differing downforce levels, has he forgotten that the W02 was around a second a lap quicker than the competition at the first test in Jerez (which being a 2011 car has around 15-25% more downforce than a 2012 car) . That is on 2012 tyres.

that was ebd not aero downforce

[elf341]

that was ebd not aero downforce

I'm not quite sure what mechanism apart from increased aerodynamic downforce you think is responsible for the better lap-time with EBD?

Thrust from the exhaust gas?

[mantikos]

that was ebd not aero downforce

I'm not quite sure what mechanism apart from increased aerodynamic downforce you think is responsible for the better lap-time with EBD?

Thrust from the exhaust gas?

I think what he means is that while the EBD is an aero effect, it is not the result of traditional aero body work

[elf341]

Well if that is what he means it is irrelevant. Downforce is downforce. Newey said he largely came across the EBD idea when trying to work out ways of maintaining the rear downforce that they would lose when the double diffuser was banned.

[marcush.]

to me Brawns statement is just reassuring my own view of understand your package completely before throwing on more upgrades .At least when you have a workablle base product..
They did not have that in the years before ..but w03 is a competitive car as it is and they seem to have the feeling the potential is there already and just needs to be understood .

[siskue2005]

Well if that is what he means it is irrelevant. Downforce is downforce. Newey said he largely came across the EBD idea when trying to work out ways of maintaining the rear downforce that they would lose when the double diffuser was banned.

ebd is drag Free rather drag less downforce relative to aero downforce

[zyphro]

to me Brawns statement is just reassuring my own view of understand your package completely before throwing on more upgrades .At least when you have a workablle base product..
They did not have that in the years before ..but w03 is a competitive car as it is and they seem to have the feeling the potential is there already and just needs to be understood .

I agree.

[snoop1050]

after valencia brawn said they had upgrades for silverstone yet they dont seem to have anything? looks like they lost out alot in the development race now

[clipsy1H]

after valencia brawn said they had upgrades for silverstone yet they dont seem to have anything? looks like they lost out alot in the development race now

exactly ..... such a funny car at Silverstone same problems with tyres