Hobbs04 wrote:Due to engine mapping restrictions your really locked into one design direction. Red bull have optimized their maps to the tunnel under ramp. Ferrari are vice versa. I've read the red bull maps for the tunnel design saps a few more horsepower but the gains in df negate that.
Tell that to all the teams that have freely switched back and forth in the past two years. Red Bull, Sauber, STR...
Williams have been very vocal about the fact they are locked into engine maps that are suited to non Coanda style blowing beam wing type from early 2012. Back in Spa 2012 then Germany they locked teams down to prevent radical exotic engine maps for each individual race. Since then its basically been static... Correct me if I'm wrong.
Sevach wrote:I'm gonna resurrect this in light of recent evolution of STR and Sauber after adopting ramps.
Teams with semi-coanda designs are getting weaker and weaker, with Mercedes hanging on (perhaps for being strong in other areas, suspension for one), while Red Bull is back stroger than ever with the new stronger tires and Lotus looks like the second car on the grid at times.
Are they getting stronger because of the Coanda or because they out developped the other teams? The coanda has seen fairly little change yet there was a slight shift in positions. A coanda exhaust doesnt suddenly not work anymore.
It's not a matter of stopped working, of course it still works, semi coanda is still bringing downforce to the teams that use it.
But... does the ramp gives you more? Personally i'm seeing more evidence of it being the best solution, even without super maps that had everyone scared (that teams with semi coanda setups wanted banned, they didn't even try to up Renault here, just block it).
Last year there was little time and knowledge surrounding these exhausts, but now people converting are improving massively, Sauber had changed some things since the beggining of the year, but only when they redesigned the sidepods for ramps they became quick again.
Don't forget that even without maps, the engine is still running when off-throttle. You will still get gases coming out of your exhausts then - and the ramp allows that effect to live on (as opposed to fading away thanks to having to jump the gap)
At this point it really doesn't matter anymore which one is better. The last one making the switch was Sauber; next year both solutions will be redundant and teams are better off introducing updates that can be carried over. Red Bull isn't either making anymore updates on their exhaust solution.
For next year the sole exhaust will be placed at the back. Maybe they'll turn it into a coanda/ semi-coanda solution.
In all honesty, I don't think there wouldn't be a big difference much between a ramp and a coanda exhaust. I think to judge them in isolation isn't valid, as they form a part of the cars entire aero map, or else the grid would have converged on the same solution.
I think often its what path you initially choose, and you tend to stick to that development path, unless you feel the other opens up other advantages.
I believe McLaren and Ferrari have the most matured coanda solutions and Red Bull and Renault the best of the 'ramp' style solution originally pioneered by Sauber.
As for horsepower loss, by the time the exhaust exits the tailpipe, what happens downstream wouldn't affect power I would think.
