Vodafone McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes

[tok-tokkie]

Honest question: what is going on in the endplate?

If you are asking about the 3 sets of 4 holes. They allow the main plane to be set at 3 different angles = top 2 holes, middle 2 holes or bottom 2 holes.

[turbof1]

As for the holes, like I said earlier, no idea! Looking back at the pics from Spa it seems that they do leave them exposed rather than fitting a vanity sticker or something. Strange.

Could it be that they act like the gills but then in a more efficient way?

[Crucial_Xtreme]

McLaren using cascade-less FW today, although the R-shaped vane remains




@ stefan_ Thanks mate. Haven't caught much F1 since Germany. Interesting McLaren added them.

edit

[gray41]

Is Lewis using slightly more rear wing?

http://f1zoom.fx1.nl/?year=2012&race=it ... 476&full=1

Jenson in the top hole maybe Lewis one down?

[SAEED]

Have Mclaren extended the FW pylons?

[McMrocks]

new 3rd frontwing element, or was it in Spa too?

[PlatinumZealot]

Is Lewis using slightly more rear wing?

http://f1zoom.fx1.nl/?year=2012&race=it ... 476&full=1

Jenson in the top hole maybe Lewis one down?

He better use what Jenson's team is using. We need theses constructors points.

[turbof1]

It's the same rear wing, only you can still alter the angle of it. Looks more like fine tuning so you shouldn't worry about that.

I don't completely understand why they removed the cascades; the front tyres are now much more exposed and that will affect airflow and drag.

[RichardF1]

It's the same rear wing, only you can still alter the angle of it. Looks more like fine tuning so you shouldn't worry about that.

I don't completely understand why they removed the cascades; the front tyres are now much more exposed and that will affect airflow and drag.

I thought they would want to remove the cascade to balance downforce levels between front wing and rear. The gurney tab on the upper flap would help direct some air around or over, along with the shape of the profile of the upper flap. Depends where McLaren want the air to go. Let's just hope they've got the set-ups right this year, along with the gear ratios; In FP1, JB was bouncing of the rev limiter.

[Jackles-UK]

It's the same rear wing, only you can still alter the angle of it. Looks more like fine tuning so you shouldn't worry about that.

I don't completely understand why they removed the cascades; the front tyres are now much more exposed and that will affect airflow and drag.

I hadn't realised it was an adjustable wing! I thought they were just fixing points! That's actually quite ingenious, Lewis & Jenson were always moaning about RW angles being too much/not enough, this way you can adjust for the differences in driver preference without bringing 10 RW's to every race! Anybody seen how long it takes to implement a change? Do-able during pit-stops? Between quali sessions? Could be a nifty little trick!

As soon as I saw the cascades had disappeared I did think that it exposed a lot of wheel. It must be that the revolution of the wheel disrupts the air and as a result has a net loss of drag greater to that of the cascades. I confused myself with that explanation! Attempt 2: the spinning wheels create less drag than the cascades (simpler!?).

[i70q7m7ghw]

Can anyone get a close up shot of the flap on the new McLaren rear-wing?

[turbof1]

It's the same rear wing, only you can still alter the angle of it. Looks more like fine tuning so you shouldn't worry about that.

I don't completely understand why they removed the cascades; the front tyres are now much more exposed and that will affect airflow and drag.

I hadn't realised it was an adjustable wing! I thought they were just fixing points! That's actually quite ingenious, Lewis & Jenson were always moaning about RW angles being too much/not enough, this way you can adjust for the differences in driver preference without bringing 10 RW's to every race! Anybody seen how long it takes to implement a change? Do-able during pit-stops? Between quali sessions? Could be a nifty little trick!

As soon as I saw the cascades had disappeared I did think that it exposed a lot of wheel. It must be that the revolution of the wheel disrupts the air and as a result has a net loss of drag greater to that of the cascades. I confused myself with that explanation! Attempt 2: the spinning wheels create less drag than the cascades (simpler!?).

I don't think it is possible to do it that quick during a pitstop. McLaren aims pitstops at around 2,5 seconds. What they can do, and I think that is possible, is to add er remove a gurney with ducktape. That is much simpler and faster to do then to detach and reposition the whole main plane.
For qualifying I think they can do that; I am not sure how it fits here in parc ferme rules, but it may well be McLaren is circumventing the rules with this.

Yeah about the spinning wheels: I was starting to think along those lines too. I also guess with less need for downforce they can simply neglect better airflow to the back. Ferrari is following that same principle. Red Bull strangely isn't. Infact they added that r shaped element again, which does brings up questions: McLaren is driving that element now for the 3th season in a row and since singapore 2010 every race; Red Bull only ran it this year at Monza AND last year at Monza. Why ?

EDIT: oops apperently they did run it more this season. Sorry everybody makes mistakes sometimes.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Can anyone get a close up shot of the flap on the new McLaren rear-wing?

Yessir.

[beelsebob]

Wow, so the flap actually isn't curved up on this design – it's designed to be aero neutral when in the up position by the looks of things!

[Pierce89]

Wow, so the flap actually isn't curved up on this design – it's designed to be aero neutral when in the up position by the looks of things!

Its not aero neutral. It might be at 0 degree AoA, but its HIGHLY CAMBERED. Its still a DF producing wing.

Edit : The flap is not that cambered after all