McLaren MP4-29 Mercedes

[stefan_]

(don't remember seeing these photos around here - sorry if I reposted them)

[Lazy]

I'm sure that nose design came from the suppressed memory of a once small child that was traumatised, like we all were, by Mr. Noseybonk.

I disagree, I think the "haha it looks like a cock" perception of it comes from that.

[KingHamilton01]

Was this the new front wing McLaren tested or not....? guess not?

[Thunder]

Was this the new front wing McLaren tested or not....? guess not?

No, the New Frontwing can be seen on Page 82.

[KingHamilton01]

Was this the new front wing McLaren tested or not....? guess not?

No, the New Frontwing can be seen on Page 82.

Yeah I did see that, but hard to make out the update to it because of the flow-vis and might be different from an aerial Viewpoint...? oh well not long to see it properly now

[turbof1]

The biggest difference was that they added an upwash flap to the endplate.

One shouldn't forget that this is quite a complex wing to begin with. Mercedes did the same thing. Furthermore, it's a complete redesign from last year.

[JDC123]

When did magnussen sustain the damage to the nose of the car, and why wash the car lowered with a front wheel missing in the pits?

[RZS10]

According to AMuS it fell off the front jack during a pitstop ... the jack apparently caused the damage to the nosetip

[hollus]

Where is the crash structure? The tip just meets the dimensional rules, but they didn't even try to start the crash structure in it!

[gray41]

Can someone explain if the McLaren nose is legal/illegal?

[BorisTheBlade]

There is no reason to believe that it is illegal.
According to AMuS it follows the letter of the rules. Because the first 15cm must not absorb more than 10g. But there is no minimum force so you can make the first 15cm as light and soft as possible.

[RZS10]

I thought the FIA investigated (all noses?) and they only announced they'll change the rules for the next season...

[BorisTheBlade]

Indeed, which is a clear statement that they aren't happy with the noses although they are legal.

[Owen.C93]

Well the Marussia one is pretty bad as well.

[daveyrace]

I had a look at the pictures posted by Stefan above from Auto Motor und Sport, very interesting to see the honeycomb structure used even with carbon structure that thin. Weight matters!
I have highlighted some parts of the pictures to show my take on this part of the nose.



The green section at the base of the nose is relatively thin, there to provide the nose tip area to meet regs and aerodynamics under the nose (The red bull nose tip tapers up before it meets the point of the uprights.). It may be possible for them to adjust the shape of this section to improve aero etc as it does not appear to be load bearing. It appers to have a kevlar weave for strength rather than a stiffening honeycomb layer.

The Orange section appears to be an internal structural web to increase stiffness and strength of the nose above the lower green fairing. The main stiffness of the nose comes from the top half of the nose which looks quite a bit thicker in section with deeper honeycomb sandwich.

There is a lip without chrome paint on it at the very front of the green section where the smiley nose tip fits over.

I also highlighted in the inset picture a line visible inside the nose, taking a rough line across it as the dashed horizontal orange line. I roughly placed this on the main picture using the wing pylons to help line it up. I believe this is the start of the crash structure proper and have hashed the area it corresponds with.
Under the dashed orange line there is another line partly visible, how the crash structure joins the green section under this point I don't know/cant see so have left it blank, it may stop there it may extend down use your imagination.

BorisTheBlade points out that the first 15cm must not absorb more than 10g but there is no minimum force. I would guess it is approximately 15cm from the nose tip to the area I have hashed in orange. And would explain the light construction of the nose tip.

No reason to see it as illegal, If the FIA want changes for next year I would think it would be because the crash structure in a nose like this is still relatively high, the tip is lower. Although the Mclaren is not that bad, the worst cars for this would probably be the Force India's (assuming the their tip is similar in structure to the Mclaren). The best would be the Mercedes and Ferrari where the crash structure is down at the nose tip height. Although making a nose like Mercedes meet the regs for not absorbing more than 10g in the first 15cm must be pretty hard to do =D> .