Mercedes AMG F1 W07

[Thunder]

AMuS calls them Mad Max style Barge Boards. I like that Name. ^^

[bhall II]

They look like vortex generators that could delay expansion under the floor.

For all flat-bottom floors, viscous losses reduce the dynamic pressure of air flow under the floor, i.e. air flow slows down, which creates an area of relative stagnation mid-floor. Because total pressure in any given area is constant, reducing dynamic pressure increases static pressure, i.e. less downforce. This inefficiency affects the entire floor.

Imagine trying to push an outstretched rope across the ground. It'll just create a pile of rope.

One of the drawbacks to running a lot of rake is that it tends to exacerbate the problem, because it increases expansion. If these devices can energize air flow and direct it slightly inward, it will reduce the size of the area in which stagnation occurs.

The old Champ Cars ran something a kinda/sorta similar...



That's my interpretation, anyway. Your mileage may vary.

[matt_s]

Also, given the propensity for running a lot of rake, don't teams struggle to keep consistent airflow to the diffuser as the car is in yaw, or riding curbs.

This looks like it would generate a number of vortices that run along the under edge of the floor and seal the airflow. Something akin to a virtual ground effect skirt.

[giantfan10]

That seems a bit scary though... imagine what could happen if a driver misses his stop in the pits slightly.

Anyone in front of the car would have had their legs chopped off by the front wing and then run over by the tyre by the time these teeth got anywhere near!

I love the look of the W floor, it's a really aggressive piece of bodywork suited to such a car. First bit of significant innovation we've seen on an F1 car in quite some time... Hopefully it's effective.

actually its a pretty good job of copying what Lotus did in 2013 and Ferrari did in 2003. There is nothing innovative about it, what remains to be seen is if they keep it on the car or not.

[NoDivergence]

Nobody has ever had a serrated floor like this before. This is an innovation.

[i70q7m7ghw]

What happened to the innovative nose? Smoke and mirrors...

[diogo.costa.39]

What happened to the innovative nose? Smoke and mirrors...

Wedneday

[FrukostScones]

What happened to the innovative nose? Smoke and mirrors...

I wonder what it is, has to be more than a simple s-duck

maybe a multi-contour nose? but rule wise diffiucult...

[Morteza]

https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/702127458468892673

[Ferraripilot]

It appears a major component of the W floor design is the 'comb' structures at the leading edge of the floor, thus I do not believe for other teams it will just be a matter of slapping on a multi edged board and calling it a day.

[Morteza]

[ringo]

It is for downforce generation firstly with vortex generation to mimic the effect the blown exhausts had on the lotus car.

The split bargeboards are nothing new, but extending the same treatment to the floor is a akin to when they extended the front wing elemenets to the end plate base.
I think the same engineer/s who did the trick end plates on the W06 are responsible for this design, and it may actually work pretty well at creating a multi element wing effect, and vortices.

[bhall II]

It looks a lot like McLaren's MP4-X concept...

[Just_a_fan]

That seems a bit scary though... imagine what could happen if a driver misses his stop in the pits slightly.

Anyone in front of the car would have had their legs chopped off by the front wing and then run over by the tyre by the time these teeth got anywhere near!

I love the look of the W floor, it's a really aggressive piece of bodywork suited to such a car. First bit of significant innovation we've seen on an F1 car in quite some time... Hopefully it's effective.

actually its a pretty good job of copying what Lotus did in 2013 and Ferrari did in 2003. There is nothing innovative about it, what remains to be seen is if they keep it on the car or not.

No one has had a bargeboard and serated system like this before. The Ferrari was a standard bargeboard with a stepped shadow plane.

[turbof1]

As said, it's not really an innovation. Lotus ran such bargeboards back in 2013. Don't know about Ferrari.

Realise that all of that is applying existing concepts all over the car. Remember the sharkteeth on the back of the front wing last year? Exactly the same, but on a different part of the car. This is finetuning and experimenting with finetuning.