Renault R.S.16

[toraabe]

This pic confirms Renault is still using the 2015 gearbox casing (which has been designed for a Merc PU) but other pics show Renault didnt put a spacer between engine and g-box; the latter is directly connected to the former (I assumed before the season kstarts that Renault will put a spacer because its 2015 turbo+compressor air box are obviously bigger than the Merc turbine...) but it seems Renault has just enlarged the turbo ducts openings on each side of the casing...
That means Renault has probably made its turbo-compressor airbox much more compact...
Maybe they finally decided to ditch their disc shaped compressor airbox and put an 'L' shaped duct which is intergrated to the engine's V, similar to Ferrari.
http://www.f1i.com/wp-content/uploads/2 ... earbox.jpg
2015
2014
http://i21.servimg.com/u/f21/14/79/55/26/lotus-12.jpg

The Turbo is not bigger, but is it placed behind the engine. That is why they had to modify the shell.

[Blackout]

Behind the engine, the Renault has a compressor (+its airbox in 2014 and 2015 atleast)+a turbine = a whole turbo.
So i's abviously bigger than the Merc lonely turbine.

[jack345667]

And comparing this pic with all the naked pics of the Renault shows that the RS.16 has no aerodynamic internal bodywork/skin/schieding yet. Probably because of the late PU swap and the time and money shortage, Enstone postponed its développement...

http://img1.auto-motor-und-sport.de/Ren ... 938980.jpg

The same car had one last year
http://f1tcdn.net/f1db/cars/images/2015 ... -loose.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vrLfqx7OTo/V ... wrence.jpg

without
http://i21.servimg.com/u/f21/14/79/55/26/vlc_2010.jpg

What are these shields normally for? Surely they can't be for aerodynamics if they're internal

[Big Mangalhit]

And comparing this pic with all the naked pics of the Renault shows that the RS.16 has no aerodynamic internal bodywork/skin/schieding yet. Probably because of the late PU swap and the time and money shortage, Enstone postponed its développement...

http://img1.auto-motor-und-sport.de/Ren ... 938980.jpg

The same car had one last year
http://f1tcdn.net/f1db/cars/images/2015 ... -loose.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vrLfqx7OTo/V ... wrence.jpg

without
http://i21.servimg.com/u/f21/14/79/55/26/vlc_2010.jpg

What are these shields normally for? Surely they can't be for aerodynamics if they're internal

Air enters the radiators openings and leaves the side pods in the the hot area opening behind the car, so the internal aero of a car is actually quite important to reduce drag. At least it is my (narrow) understanding.

[Blackout]

Yes. Aero also concerns the inside of the car...
That internal skin 'smoothes the edges' of the internal parts of the car, covers the big cables and the pipes, reduces the seams, closes the gaps, prevents that the air dissipates under the main bodywork, helps it keep enough pressure and energy and guides it where it should go. It can also have a heat shielding function.
So it's is an important part and its absence must be hurting the car's aero and maybe cooling too (hence the big rads and intercoolers?)

RB11 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CT2e6YKWsAI3Rzr.jpg:large
RB10 http://img2.auto-motor-und-sport.de/Red ... 769719.jpg

An FI with and without it

[turbof1]

Yes. Aero also concerns the inside of the car...
That internal skin 'smoothes the edges' of the internal parts of the car, covers the big cables and the pipes, reduces the seams, closes the gaps, prevents that the air dissipates under the main bodywork, helps it keep enough pressure and energy and guides it where it should go. It can also have a heat shielding function.
So it's is an important part and its absence must be hurting the car's aero and maybe cooling too (hence the big rads and intercoolers?)

RB11 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CT2e6YKWsAI3Rzr.jpg:large
RB10 http://img2.auto-motor-und-sport.de/Red ... 769719.jpg

An FI with and without it
http://i86.servimg.com/u/f86/14/79/55/26/force-10.jpg

Aero inside the car is important, but probably in a bit more complex way then you might expect. In short it is down to cooling: the more efficiently your internal aero is optimized, the more efficient your cooling becomes, which means you need less volume for cooling, ultimately reducing the footprint on external aero.

[Big Mangalhit]

Also it is important to streamline the flow so it has less drag and no pressure build up, to prevent situation like this.

[DiogoBrand]

This situation was caused by not properly attaching the engine cover, not because of unusual pressure buildup.

[Big Mangalhit]

Any reason it might have happened it shows that there is some pressure build up and air flowing inside (not that it needs proof). Even if the cause is the attachment only the pressure will make it explode like that. And I say explode because there were broken parts, it is not like it just flew the whole cover from the car intact.

[F1NAC]

New cascade

[domh245]

What do you make of that odd section on the engine cover? Is it a trick of the light or some kind of mesh covered outlet (just above the RE16 marking)?





Images from Renault Twitter

[continuum16]

What do you make of that odd section on the engine cover? Is it a trick of the light or some kind of mesh covered outlet (just above the RE16 marking)?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChNQO40UgAEoJfj.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChL-ozFU4AInX6d.jpg:large

Images from Renault Twitter

I think it's just some unpainted carbon.

[Morteza]

[Blackout]

AFAIR, it's the first time I see these small red dots/stikers on the bodywork... New heat-sensitive stickers?

[RicME85]

Arent they the FIA stickers?