Lotus E21 Renault

[Huntresa]

This is my first post on f1technical. Just curious if anyone thinks that the laser dot on the ground in front of the tea tray indicates that lotus is running some sort of continuously variable suspension trick. Im notsaying the laser is controlling ride height but rather data logging to ensure it's working properly. Perhaps there is another laser underneath the floor further back as well. The Sparks flying and the lower rear on low fuel later in the race indicate to me that something unusual could be at play

Got pics of this laser? Also they had this low car last year aswell so they do have something others dont when it comes to rideheight.

[korzeniow]

This is my first post on f1technical. Just curious if anyone thinks that the laser dot on the ground in front of the tea tray indicates that lotus is running some sort of continuously variable suspension trick. Im notsaying the laser is controlling ride height but rather data logging to ensure it's working properly. Perhaps there is another laser underneath the floor further back as well. The Sparks flying and the lower rear on low fuel later in the race indicate to me that something unusual could be at play

AFIAK this laser is measuring the height of the car while running

[ForMuLaOne]

This is my first post on f1technical. Just curious if anyone thinks that the laser dot on the ground in front of the tea tray indicates that lotus is running some sort of continuously variable suspension trick. Im notsaying the laser is controlling ride height but rather data logging to ensure it's working properly. Perhaps there is another laser underneath the floor further back as well. The Sparks flying and the lower rear on low fuel later in the race indicate to me that something unusual could be at play

AFIAK this laser is measuring the height of the car while running

We are discussing a possible ( or impossible under the given rules) solution in this thread:

http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewto ... =6&t=14809

[Rhodium]

I'm sorry,
I think I confused the DDRS and DRD. (I did not know there was a difference)


I am also very exited to see Lotus to be aggressive with the development of the car.
it is hoped that it will be effective.

[turbof1]

The confusion is understandable. Even at the official f1 site, they talk about "passive ddrs". The confusion started when popular f1 news sites began to use "ddrs" for passive devices, which aren't at all related to drs. Now they stubbornly cling on at their faulty used term.

[nlehoullier]

I know the laser is to measure the height of the car. I certainly may be wrong but I have never seen another team running a laser outside of testing. It is not exactly expensive but it may be too heavy for other teams I suppose. i figured since lotus is running it during the race or at least free practice maybe they are checking to make sure an unusual suspension system is working properly. I will direct the rest of my questions into the other thread, I apologize for not using the search before posting.

Check post 1441 http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?s ... 03&st=1440

[Neno]

It's irelevant maybe, but Lotus had new rear suspension this weekend. I think Permane talked about. So it's not unusal they had lasers under the car.

[Blackout]

Enstone cars carry a drop shaped laser sensor since many years, like many other teams, and not only in practice.. But since 2011 they seem to carry two laser sensors under the nose; the water drop shaped one which hangs between the nose turning vanes (for ride height ?) and another one behind it (for slip angle?). During winter testing we saw another red dot near the front wheels, under the brake ducts...

[Gridlock]

I went back and re-watched the early stages of the race and you'd swear the Lotus is actually running a negative rake, which surely would cause high pressure zones ahead of the diffuser, so you could 'slurp' air off and send it above somehow? I can't understand how a negative rake is better than a steep positive (RBR) one - given current F1 regs - unless you have significant ground effect or a in-effect-anyway double diffuser.

[wesley123]

I doubt that they run negative rake.

The thing I think of here is that they run quite soft front and rear, which in acceleration would cause the rear to come down, giving the suggestion of negative rake

[Gridlock]

The thing I think of here is that they run quite soft front and rear, which in acceleration would cause the rear to come down, giving the suggestion of negative rake

I really really need a better way of getting images off the Sky+... Will put some together, but I wasn't ignorant of this effect - I was deliberately looking in braking zones or mid-straight. There's one sequence in particular where the RBR goes by and the difference is stark. One looks the opposite of the other.

[Hobbs04]

Scarbs once said once the teams learn something it is very hard to unlearn. Last year Lotus found something with that adaptive suspension. Looking back after Charlie banned it, I remember Allison stating it didn't work like they wanted it too (yeah right!) Now they had the entire offseason to get another gizmo. I reckon this is not just a softer supple setup but also a ride height gizmo. After rewatching the race kimi was sparking from first laps to the end. Just saying.

[Rikhart]

This BS about the "sparks" needs to stop, they were doing that all of last year as well. It´s nothing new, but since they won in dominant fashion, everyone is looking for "the secret".

[Neno]

This BS about the "sparks" needs to stop, they were doing that all of last year as well. It´s nothing new, but since they won in dominant fashion, everyone is looking for "the secret".

i multiple time said same thing, but on mercedes topic after their good winter testing, now i am already myself bored repeating same thing. I'm glad I'm not not alone =D> Well said =D>

[shelly]

@shelly

3rd winter test, morning of 1st March:

http://i.imgur.com/sXsk95i.jpg

That's the DRD device. Not last year's DDRS blowing the beam wing

I know the difference: what I meant is that the vertical piece of carbon connected to the mainplane in my opinion is not a drd component. What suggests me so is that a similar pillar was run by rbr in winter testing before the beginning of 2012 season, and after that we have seen it again in abu dhabi young drivers test only.
While in abudhabi the drd was already a hot topic, in february 2012 nobody was thinking of it, still rbr was running in test with that fitted on the rb8 (in the rb9 thread some days ago i have put the link to those pictures). So i think it is something different, maybe a yaw sensor for aero rear wing assessment, or a support for a load cell.

It could well be also that now instead of whatever they were running last year thay are mounting a drd pipe in that position, but for the moment I think different. We will see later I think