Ferrari F138

[bhall]

I think you greatly underestimate the difficulty of determining the integrity of a composite structure in such a condition from the information that they would have had at the time.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Ferrari's diffuser has gained a new channel under the rear crash structure.
http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editori ... 019991.jpg
Modified diffuser for Ferrari © XPB

Much like the Mercedes solution, this is a way to circumvent the rules that limit the diffuser to a 125mm height and the ban on openings in the diffuser.

In the middle of the diffuser, a dipped channel is visible. The scoop formed by this dip is legal as its opening is formed by an extension of the starter motor hole.

Above this scoop, the diffuser rises to about 200mm, far more than the 125mm maximum height. The scoop masks this height and forms the surface that meets the height regulations.

To make this duct produce downforce, airflow needs to pass over it. This is probably the flow that passes tight against the sidepods, coke bottle shape and up over the middle of the diffuser.

Although this duct creates a little more volume in the diffuser, it isn't another form of double diffuser. The potential of the extra duct is limited by the crash structure mounted above it. So this diffuser channel is not likely to become a must-have addition for all teams.

I saw that too but I don't believe what's being described in the article is new.

[sucof]

I think you greatly underestimate the difficulty of determining the integrity of a composite structure in such a condition from the information that they would have had at the time.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/ima ... f44e02.jpg

Thanks, I too think that the TV images were pretty conclusive about the damage.

[wesley123]

So you guys can give a better judgement with a few pictures than a whole team based on craploads of data. Yeah it is kinda obvious, certainly aftert it was said after the accident already happened, well after.

The team made the choice, and it seems like the choice wasnt an obvious one, like you guys claim it to be. Also what Lycoming says is a great addition; "I think you greatly underestimate the difficulty of determining the integrity of a composite structure in such a condition from the information that they would have had at the time."

And then he is only talking about the carbon itself, also note that it was wet weather which is something to think about.

[bhall]

There were also sparks. Lots and lots of sparks.

Also the very strong possibility of a black flag.

[turbof1]

Foolish to believe the FW would have hold. Remember, the pylons have regulated dimensions and are consequently flat to the core to turn them into the largest turning vanes possible. They can't take much. With one pylon being completely disconnected and the other's structural integrity surely damaged, it was obvious it could never hold onder the heavy downforce pressure at high speed.

It would have been much better if he completely drove his wing off at Vettel's car. The impact would have decreased the likelyhood that the complete main plane shoved under his wheels.

[Cam]

It was a gamble, pure and simple. If they made it around one more lap, they might have stopped for slicks - skipped away and won the race - then they'd be geniuses who made the right call.

There were also sparks. Lots and lots of sparks. Also the very strong possibility of a black flag.

That is spot on and the only thing that I thought. With a safety crazed FIA, you'd think having a severely damaged front wing (when we all know what happens when they fail) would be more than enough for a black flag - come to think of it, I didn't see one shown to Alonso....... why?

Brundle said the only thing scarier than a front wing failure is a stuck throttle - that me is a critical failure.

[shelly]

Any ideas about why the wing failed on the pit straight and not in the straight before? My idea is that webber interference, cited by another user here before, it is a possible cause.
At ferrari could have thought: if the wing has resisted on the back straight, it should do the same on the other straight also

[bhall]

[...]come to think of it, I didn't see one shown to Alonso....... why?

[...]

Like everyone else, they probably assumed he would stop anyway. He then retired mere seconds after many of us said, "What the..." when he didn't stop, which didn't give the FIA much time to do anything about it.

[turbof1]

It was a gamble, pure and simple. If they made it around one more lap, they might have stopped for slicks - skipped away and won the race - then they'd be geniuses who made the right call.

There were also sparks. Lots and lots of sparks. Also the very strong possibility of a black flag.

That is spot on and the only thing that I thought. With a safety crazed FIA, you'd think having a severely damaged front wing (when we all know what happens when they fail) would be more than enough for a black flag - come to think of it, I didn't see one shown to Alonso....... why?

Brundle said the only thing scarier than a front wing failure is a stuck throttle - that me is a critical failure.

The chances that it would hold were next to nothing. You don't need data or be an expert to notice the gamble would never pay off. Perhaps they were hoping the FW broke off without getting underneath the car, but that's not a difficult gamble NOT to make either, because you still would then need to stop due too much downforce lost.

[Redragon]

I am not an expert or engenier but when I saw the sparks and how that wing was hunging. First thought I had they are going to pit and change the wing. Second thought, second half of track was quiet wet but first part was quiet dry, so I thought they might change to slicks and gamble in doing a couple of laps really slow but maintaining tyre temperature so when everyone was going to pit 2 or 3 laps later the tyres were going to be just 3 laps old than everyone else but the damage time wouldn't be much.
In my opinion it was more secure gamble doing this that trying to stay out with a real damage wing that it was touching the track.

[wesley123]

Well clearly the Ferrari team thought the wing would hold long enough to make the stop. It is all part of the game, and like Cam said, if the call did work out they would have been heroes.

But I guess it is easy to say how much Ferrari sucks after this decision when you already know what happened.

[turbof1]

Well clearly the Ferrari team thought the wing would hold long enough to make the stop. It is all part of the game, and like Cam said, if the call did work out they would have been heroes.

But I guess it is easy to say how much Ferrari sucks after this decision when you already know what happened.

Assuming it would have hold, they would not have been heroes. The decrease in downforce would be substantial and would further decrease due parts of the endplate being scraped away. Alonso would had been in the pits at the end of his second lap, with alot of ground lost to his nearest competitors. He would have lost the avoided extra pitstop on track anyhow.

[AnthonyG]

But I guess it is easy to say how much Ferrari sucks after this decision when you already know what happened.

You have to evaluate the decision, not the outcome.

If I put all my money on number 26 and number 26 gets drawn in the roulette, the outcome might be good, but that still doesn't make it a good decision.

[wesley123]

But I guess it is easy to say how much Ferrari sucks after this decision when you already know what happened.

You have to evaluate the decision, not the outcome.

I am doing that, but the rest seems fixed on "omg the wing was loose they were never going to mke it anyways, ferrari's tactics suck!" Which is, as I said, very easy to say when you already know what happened