What the 'Fric' is it?

[Cam]

Specialist publications are reporting a secret of the apparent speed of Mercedes' new W04 car -- a system known in the German squad's garage as 'Fric'.

German television RTL is saying it probably stands for 'front and rear interactive control', or in other words a type of legal active suspension.

Electronically-active suspension is not allowed, but an hydraulically-controlled layout could be a key to Mercedes' unmatched pace in the twisty middle sector at the final Barcelona test recently.

Auto Motor und Sport said the Brackley based team has been "tinkering with the system for three years".

The report said Sauber is also now working on a version.

Source

Any ideas or speculation as to how this works? Interesting that Sauber is linked to playing with it too.

[stefan_]

I am curious how would this be different to the Lotus one that was banned (after it was cleared as legal by the FIA in the first stance), because that ban narrowed the window for any type of "active" suspension to a point in which it is almost impossible to make something active in that area.

[Cam]

Agreed. Which us why I'm curious as to what, if any, they have. It's all rumour until proven, but its weird they suggested Sauber in the same article. Guess its time to scour the regs.

[amouzouris]

I am wondering if it has anything to do with the whole braking system. Remember the 'I pressed the brakes and nothing happened' ??

[autogyro]

Many of us knew that Ross Brawn and Merc were working on some suspension and aero developments long term.
I was beginning to think that Ross had lost the plot.
Three years from idea to car is a long time.
I believe that these knew systems were the primary reason for Hamilton jumping ship from Macca.
He had in effect suffered over the last few seasons racing against a superior car in the red bull.
His superior ability and to a degree Buttons closed the gap. (it also shows Alonso's genius)
Macca must have been unable to offer him a better car for this year.
Ross obviously did.
I will stick my neck out and say that Merc will dominate this coming season.

It does depend on what Ferrari and Macca bring in the way of tech though.
I cant see Macca being radical with the latest changes in tech staff.
Ferrari have Rorry Bryn (Ross' ex partner) so aero wise they should be up there at least.

[FoxHound]

The lotus system was banned because it was mechanically operated.
Using the brakes, the system would work.

Mercedes idea is inertia based, and doesn't use electrics or mechanical input from the driver to work.

[Holm86]

I am wondering if it has anything to do with the whole braking system. Remember the 'I pressed the brakes and nothing happened' ??

It could be. But then it would be illegal i presume. Under same regulations that banned Renaults brake system last year.

[andylaurence]

Isn't it what's in the recent Racecar Engineering about hydraulically linking the front and rear third springs to control pitch? I thought that was commonplace though perhaps Mercedes have a particularly interesting version of it.

[Kiril Varbanov]

It's rather left to right and front to back for roll and pitch.

[bhall]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's the mercury ride-height system, or a derivative thereof, that's been dissected, dismissed, mocked, and ridiculed, or otherwise treated as a work of genius. Such a system wouldn't necessarily require mercury to work, just something to harness and utilize the inertial forces of the car in order stabilize its pitch under braking and acceleration, which would then preclude, or at least reduce, the need to run anti-dive/squat suspension geometry.

Front-Rear Inertial Connection?

I am wondering if it has anything to do with the whole braking system. Remember the 'I pressed the brakes and nothing happened' ??

Perhaps the system is tunable to various levels of weight transfer. That would mean the above statement perhaps implied, "I pressed the brakes, and the system didn't function."

[FoxHound]

@Bhall

Mercury it could not be....It's on the list of banned metals no?

[Mika1]

Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1
Merc's interlinked suspension, links left-to-right for roll and front-to-rear for pitch (dive). Its totally passive and legal

MercedesAMGSpy ‏@MercedesAMGSpy
@ScarbsF1 Scarbs, I read a Sauber engineer said three FP's sessions aren't enough to fine tune the suspension every race what's your opinion

Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1
@MercedesAMGSpy thats possibly true, but they have had over two years running at each track with it, so they might have got on top of it now

[stefan_]

Wasn't Lotus' idea passive too? I don't remember what was the motivation behind deeming it to be illegal after the initial approvement.


Last November (2011) at the young driver test in Abu Dhabi, Lotus (then Renault) evaluated this reactive ride-height suspension system. It's designed to help the car maintain a constant ride height under braking, which should boost stability and hence aerodynamic performance. An obstacle could have been any need for direct input from the driver - excluding DRS, any driver influence on a car's aerodynamics breaches the regulations - but this is entirely mechanical and is activated by the brakes' torque, not the driver. It's reactive, not active. As a result, Lotus's system has already received initial approval from the FIA's Charlie Whiting, whilst other teams are understood to be evaluating its merits, with Mercedes including a version on their MGP W03 project and Ferrari hoping to test theirs at 2012's final pre-season test in Barcelona. The bulk of the system is contained in the car's drum-like brake housing. Additional hydraulic cylinders (1) are connected to the movement of the brake caliper, whilst the suspension's push-rod link (2) is no longer rigidly fixed to the upright but can enjoy a few millimetres' freedom of movement (see yellow highlighted area on inset) to offset the pressure that would ordinarily force the front of the car to pitch, or dive, under braking. If the system really works - something we should discover in pre-season testing - it could become a must-have innovation for 2012.

Taken from formula1.com

[astracrazy]

MercedesAMGSpy ‏@MercedesAMGSpy
@ScarbsF1 Scarbs, I read a Sauber engineer said three FP's sessions aren't enough to fine tune the suspension every race what's your opinion

Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1
@MercedesAMGSpy thats possibly true, but they have had over two years running at each track with it, so they might have got on top of it now

could explain a lot with having more pace at some tracks than others last year

edit: but they have a lot of track data, and with jigs could surely set it up more or less before they get to the track?

[mx_tifoso]

The lotus system was banned because it was mechanically operated.
Using the brakes, the system would work.

Mercedes idea is inertia based, and doesn't use electrics or mechanical input from the driver to work.

Couldn't Lotus have adjusted their system to work within the rules? If it is as much of a benefit as it's made out to be, then surely it would have been worth the trouble?