Mercedes AMG F1 W06

[desl]

https://twitter.com/F1/status/665150933253402624

[Holm86]

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merce ... zilian-gp/

That seems very... crude?

Ofc it's crude. They're just testing, to know what development path they should follow for the '16 car.
No need to refine this design now, with 2 races left, and having won both the constructors and drivers championship.

[ajprice]

BBC commentary called it an S Duct, for what it's worth. 2016 development, will allow them to maintain the downforce level and use less wing.

[theWPTformula]

From what we've seen, it's no more than an S-duct-shaped vanity panel. The bulges by the pushrod pickups suggest they could be raising the heave spring height for 2016 - the front bulkhead height is fixed, so it can't be a chassis change.


I wonder why they covered Hamilton's with tape, though.

[turbof1]

I don't really know why they want to test the vanity panel only; wouldn't the flow be different with a real S-duct when airflow gets pushed out of it, including over the bulge?

[dren]

It is a direct test comparison. Using it vs not using it. The aero profile is the same. I wouldn't compare a modified car running the S duct to the old unmodified car.

[SiLo]

I would, that way its a direct comparison between having it and not having it. Rather that only sort of having it.

It's probably more because it looks like some chassis changes may have been made?

[dren]

They probably plan to run the S duct on both cars and are testing its effectiveness. They likely had to make some internal changes to retrofit the duct, thus the bulge on the sides.

[dans79]

based on the the shape of the panel and the location of the flow viz, I wonder if the s-duct isn't a dummy. Since Singapore and Lowe's comments made it clear they have a design deficiency, I could see them testing how rearranging the suspension would affect the aero.

[ajprice]

If it sits on top of the body and it's up into the drivers eyeline, it might also be to check how much it got in the way of visibility. I think they did a similar thing in practice sessions as Brawn at the end of 2009, attaching raised humps above the front suspension points on the tub like the Red Bull RB5 had. The Mercedes W01 did then have a high nose, I never saw any photos of the Brawn with those bits on though .

[Matt Somers]

If it sits on top of the body and it's up into the drivers eyeline, it might also be to check how much it got in the way of visibility. I think they did a similar thing in practice sessions as Brawn at the end of 2009, attaching raised humps above the front suspension points on the tub like the Red Bull RB5 had. The Mercedes W01 did then have a high nose, I never saw any photos of the Brawn with those bits on though .

From my original article http://www.somersf1.co.uk/2014/01/the-b ... gp001.html

[Hail22]

Friday:

[FrukostScones]

after this pic,


I think it is S-duct and not visibility/monocoque testing for 2016... (AMUS is wrong I think)

Hole has been there at austrian test... and the last races anyone?

[krisfx]

I wonder how many other updates they're testing while everyone gets busy on this S-Duct thing?

[ripper]

Piola says that Mercedes tried a new anterior suspension in FP1, it should be another test for next year.