2016 McLaren F1 Team - Honda

[diffuser]

They could probably do the same thing with vortex generators

You mean similar to how Mercedes has them all over their front wing, along with Ferrari's serrated edges?

But I wanna see cars with a purple glow in the night races...

ROFL

I was thinking more like https://www.forgedperformance.com/store ... ctid=23446

[Cold Fussion]

Out of the box the chassis has understeer.(slow)
Add any front wing and they get snap oversteer.(driver killer)
And there is zero play at the moment!(with any front wing angle change it goes from understeer to snap oversteer....no in between!)

I agree with this, this is also my observation from free practice sessions over the year. Especially in FP1 you hear the drivers complaining all the time about too much understeer. Then, playing with the FW, you hear especially BUT moaning about an unpredictable rear end and he is nowhere compared to ALO.

Too be fair, Button has been complaining about understeer for 16 years.

[godlameroso]

"apdijapidj ahpadhfap getting massive understeer apighaidapiahgakjfa;gh."
Jenson Button

[godlameroso]

They could probably do the same thing with vortex generators

You mean similar to how Mercedes has them all over their front wing, along with Ferrari's serrated edges?

But I wanna see cars with a purple glow in the night races...

ROFL

I was thinking more like https://www.forgedperformance.com/store ... ctid=23446

Well if you look at Mercedes front wing and rear wing, along with the barge boards they're all kinda shaped like that. I guess that's a way to solve it but induces too much drag which may not work with the Honda engine.

Next year with more power, they'll be able to go more aggressive on the chassis, drag be almost damned.

[PhillipM]

Too be fair, Button has been complaining about understeer for 16 years.

That's because if they set it up for oversteer they have to pick him out of the gravel, or fit new tyres because he's driving like my nan and they've gone cold.

[RedNEO]

"apdijapidj ahpadhfap getting massive understeer apighaidapiahgakjfa;gh."
Jenson Button

I laughed at this way too much LOL

[-wkst-]

Too be fair, Button has been complaining about understeer for 16 years.

It's also ALO. Nearly every week I read at this McLaren-live tweets of too much understeer in FP1. Also constantly ALO says in FP3 that balance is better than yesterday, not so much understeer, but still too much.

Tough I am curious what they plan for 17. With this wider tyres, more aero, I hope that they can give ALO a more Renault 05-06 like car. Perfectly neutral, which he can force a little bit into understeer. I am convinced that his style with the new regs will change the most, into a way more agressive type again.

[diffuser]

It sounds like when they increase downforce on the front wing they hit a point where they're diverting too much air from the rear. This results in loosing the seal of the floor and the dramatic oversteer.

That would also explain y sasha said they wanted to lower the rear but can't get the rear suspension to work lower to the ground. If the rear/rake is lower to the ground, the seal is easier to maintain. Although,lowering the rake doest resolve the problem...just works around it. I mean you loose all the advantages of the rake.

The new front wing, introduced at singapour, has the first few flaps moving more air to the middle of the car. I presume that's what they were expecting to maintain the seal.

Be interesting to know if it helped at all? Did they impove it and just not enough or what?

[Mark4211]

I hope this is the correct thread for me to post this;

Annotated wheel adjustments: Alonso vs Grosjean - Malaysia 2016
https://vimeo.com/187525757

[hurril]

Nice!

[godlameroso]

It sounds like when they increase downforce on the front wing they hit a point where they're diverting too much air from the rear. This results in loosing the seal of the floor and the dramatic oversteer.

That would also explain y sasha said they wanted to lower the rear but can't get the rear suspension to work lower to the ground. If the rear/rake is lower to the ground, the seal is easier to maintain. Although,lowering the rake doest resolve the problem...just works around it. I mean you loose all the advantages of the rake.

The new front wing, introduced at singapour, has the first few flaps moving more air to the middle of the car. I presume that's what they were expecting to maintain the seal.

Be interesting to know if it helped at all? Did they impove it and just not enough or what?

Makes sense, probably a big reason why they started adding more elements on the upper flap, so as to try to not disturb the air that flows to the barge boards and floor. Mercedes has little strakes on their upper flap, barge boards, and rear wing, and Ferrari has serrated edges on their front wing. Red-Bull and McLaren have similar front wing philosophy but the interpretation is different. The Red-Bull inner wing flaps starts working the air sooner so they tried to design a front wing that has maximum downforce while disturbing the rear flow as little as possible. They would just balance front downforce with the rear end. The McLaren wing inner section shapes the air less aggressively to start, so they depend more on flap angle adjustment, but can't balance the rear end as finely as the Red Bull, because the flap angle adjustments disturb the rear flow.

Like I've said before, it doesn't look like they bothered to do too many changes to the rear wing(save the end plates). It's almost like they were trying to use a known constant and try new things around it. Almost like a validation study, and they were mainly testing things that could carry over to next year. I think McLaren could have solved the chassis issue but it would have wasted resources for next year. With the state of the current power unit and the big step forward planned for next year, it's not inconceivable to think that the chassis strategy has been focused on next year. Trying out new things that can work next year and if they bring an aero benefit this year to leave them on the car.

It's not an ideal way to update a car, because it's going to have the same flaws all season, on the other hand, the things that make a chassis fast this year, may not work next year. Without serious re-development and fine tuning, what worked this year may be a waste of time next year. It may also be a waste of resources when you consider there will be numerous areas that can clearly give you massive gains for a lower investment, especially if you start to focus on them early.

Seeing is believing however
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/03/07/c ... ery-angle/

Compare the Red Bull and McLaren front wing, look at the bottom inner flaps tell me which one starts to work the air sooner.

[hollus]

I hope this is the correct thread for me to post this;

Annotated wheel adjustments: Alonso vs Grosjean - Malaysia 2016
https://vimeo.com/187525757

Look at those revs!
And it is not the first race: Essentially they are running the car between 11000rpm and 12500rpm. They are the only team doing this and it is almost 1000rpm higher than every other team... and rather wasteful! You do not get any more fuel for going that high, but you sure get more tear and wear and friction heat.
Nothing that we didn't kind of know already, but the sweet spot for this PU is so far off the theoretical regulation sweet spot that it is not even funny. Most likely they are desperate for gases, any gases!

[godlameroso]

It'll pay off for them next year. At least from a reliability point of view.

[Pany]

Looks like mclaren rear arms are more parallel to tire horizontal axis with reapect to redbul ferrari and mercedes. Why? I really cant explain but seems an angled upper rear arm produces leas wear and slipage. Any ideas?

[RedNEO]

I hope this is the correct thread for me to post this;

Annotated wheel adjustments: Alonso vs Grosjean - Malaysia 2016
https://vimeo.com/187525757

ALO did it like a boss!