Mercedes AMG F1 W04

[BlackMercedes]

Is it just me but do the side-pods look more dynamic than before or is that just the new sticker???

[Ferraripilot]

Is it just me but do the side-pods look more dynamic than before or is that just the new sticker???

New sticker.

[stefan_]

Mercedes W04 - Rear End detail, nothing new just a good shot of the Diffuser and Gurney (Note still no Rear Wing Endplate Strakes for Mercedes)

via SomersF1/Sutton Images

[gray41]

Wouldn't it be worth them bringing an endplate with strakes?

[user001]

do they seal the airlow to the diffusor only by the exhaust gases and with this "endplate"? obivously

[Joie de vivre]

they've been using this endplate for years now. why change it now? hahaha

[user001]

they've been using this endplate for years now. why change it now? hahaha

cause they wanna win?

[beelsebob]

they've been using this endplate for years now. why change it now? hahaha

Do you have evidence that it performs poorly?

[Joie de vivre]

no i don't but, look it this way -> red bull uses strakes, mclaren uses strakes, ferrari uses strakes. and those teams were (and probably still are) better than merc

there has to be difference with endplates with and without strakes, obviously, so if we presume that non-strake endplate is better, why would top team run with strakes? The thing is, they haven't even try to test the version of endplate with strakes

but again, no, i don't have evidence

[Anon123]

no i don't but, look it this way -> red bull uses strakes, mclaren uses strakes, ferrari uses strakes. and those teams were (and probably still are) better than merc

That's one way of looking at it but if you look at in a more optimistic way you could say that every car on the grid will be missing something that another top team has.

[user001]

no i don't but, look it this way -> red bull uses strakes, mclaren uses strakes, ferrari uses strakes. and those teams were (and probably still are) better than merc

there has to be difference with endplates with and without strakes, obviously, so if we presume that non-strake endplate is better, why would top team run with strakes? The thing is, they haven't even try to test the version of endplate with strakes

but again, no, i don't have evidence

do you think merc will gain more rear downforce with those rakes?

as i recall mclaren and ferrari sorted them out at the end of the season.

what gains to you have with those rakes? sealing the diffusor? ease the airflow?

[beelsebob]

no i don't but, look it this way -> red bull uses strakes, mclaren uses strakes, ferrari uses strakes. and those teams were (and probably still are) better than merc

there has to be difference with endplates with and without strakes, obviously, so if we presume that non-strake endplate is better, why would top team run with strakes? The thing is, they haven't even try to test the version of endplate with strakes

but again, no, i don't have evidence

The problem with this is simple – you can't beat people simply by copying them. You have to go down your own path and find a solution that works, because if you just go "well, they did that and it worked" you're doomed to be 3 months behind them.

[PlatinumZealot]

The end plate guide vanes allow the air to flow faster between the endplates and diverge outward behind the rear tyres thereby enabling the diffisur to work more efficiently.

It's a no-brainer in my view... I really wonder why merc have not implemented it?

[beelsebob]

The end plate guide vanes allow the air to flow faster between the endplates and diverge outward behind the rear tyres thereby enabling the diffisur to work more efficiently.

It's a no-brainer in my view... I really wonder why merc have not implemented it?

Most likely because they have computer simulations and wind tunnels, and because it turns out that simple intuition is not as powerful as these devices

[wesley123]

The end plate guide vanes allow the air to flow faster between the endplates and diverge outward behind the rear tyres thereby enabling the diffisur to work more efficiently.

It's a no-brainer in my view... I really wonder why merc have not implemented it?

"enabling the diffisur to work more efficiently."

That is asumed, it is not sure.

Most teams this year got these vanes out of the diffuser area, and only working on the top side of the diffuser, out of it's low pressure zone. I think we can hereby asume that the vanes have a negative impact on the underside of the floor.

Also with that done we can also add the possibility that these vanes do not work at all with any area of the floor(but worse on the underside) but that it's reduction isn drag is enough to add the vanes.

Imo there seems to be a little trade off between df and drag. Vanes on reduces drag, as well as df, but vanes off improve downforce albeit with additional drag.

It seems like a no brainer, but imo it is not. Because although it fills in the wake behind the rear tire and reduces drag with that, it has also impact on the exhaust gasses in that area, as well as the wings on the brake duct, in that same area. So with that, there is just more going on than just filling the wake behind the rear tire.