Red Bull RB13 TAG Heuer

[Mattchu]

So what it sounds like the`re saying is if you have a hydraulic heave damper on the back, when a certain amount of down force is reached (normally on a long straight) then the rear suspension would collapse which in turn would stall the rear, create less drag, subsequently go faster, albeit at only a few points along the lap...
I suppose this is the suspension directly affecting the aero, and possibly why Red Bull can run so much rake yet we see pictures off the car at high speed with pretty much no rake.
Is it legal? Not sure, the FIA have a tough job on their hands proving one way or the other!

Please correct me if i`m wrong and apologies if this is posted in the wrong place, sometimes you don`t want to participate for fear of being scolded...

[skoop]

Are there any news/updates on the new parts they fitted on?

[a1b2i3r45]

Newey talking about the RB13 aero philosophy and some aero design trends this year:
Starts at 9:49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6HDIYFp3k

https://youtu.be/Rx6HDIYFp3k?t=11m4s
Newey was just getting into the good stuff, why the hell Ted had to open his mouth and steer him away?

[rileykirn]

Newey talking about the RB13 aero philosophy and some aero design trends this year:
Starts at 9:49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6HDIYFp3k

https://youtu.be/Rx6HDIYFp3k?t=11m4s
Newey was just getting into the good stuff, why the hell Ted had to open his mouth and steer him away?

His comments were very telling in regards to where they are. Especially the thought that they don't need all the vanes & tuning fins yet. They want to determine exactly what they have & understand all their flow structures first & will then use those "add-ons" to adjust & refine later.

[Just_a_fan]

So what it sounds like the`re saying is if you have a hydraulic heave damper on the back, when a certain amount of down force is reached (normally on a long straight) then the rear suspension would collapse which in turn would stall the rear, create less drag, subsequently go faster, albeit at only a few points along the lap...

Is it legal? Not sure, the FIA have a tough job on their hands proving one way or the other!

I would say it's not legal because the purpose is primarily aerodynamic - the suspension's movement is solely to affect the car's aerodynamic performance. If the suspension is designed so that as downforce increases it drops in a linear and proportional manner then it would be legal - that would be a natural and expected behaviour for a suspension system to have.

If the suspension allows linear ride height reduction proportional with increasing downforce then it will be self limiting in effect.

These type of "stiff, stiff, collapsed" systems aren't new - they were using them in the t-tray support struts for example.

My hunch is that RedBull have a "stiff, stiff, collapsed" type spring arrangement at the back end. Design it to collapse at "fastest corner + 10km/h" and recover at the same speed and they can drop the rear end on a straight safe in the knowledge that their rake is good everywhere else. Probably impossible to test for in the pits.

[Just_a_fan]

Newey talking about the RB13 aero philosophy and some aero design trends this year:
Starts at 9:49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx6HDIYFp3k

https://youtu.be/Rx6HDIYFp3k?t=11m4s
Newey was just getting into the good stuff, why the hell Ted had to open his mouth and steer him away?

His comments were very telling in regards to where they are. Especially the thought that they don't need all the vanes & tuning fins yet. They want to determine exactly what they have & understand all their flow structures first & will then use those "add-ons" to adjust & refine later.

Looking at the cars to date and from Newey's comments about the Merc., I think the RedBull is doing things differently to others. I think they are trying to use the bargeboards and vanes etc.to work the leading edge of the floor. I think they're looking to maximise the effect of their rake. Mercedes appear to be using a lot of bits to turn the flow around the sidepods in the way the RedBull isn't. This was suggested by Newey in a comment I read. The RedBull's sidepods are tighter, of course, which allows them to use the bits behind the front wheels and under the nose to get the flow under the floor set up. I wonder if the nose hole device is part of this. Perhaps setting up a flow structure that is worked by the vanes below the tub. From what I can see, the RedBull's tub vanes are more about tunnelling the air and getting it to flow around the t-tray under the floor.

There's an image of the RedBull with flow viz along the sides of the tub and through the sidepod undercut. The air flowing over the edge of the floor has come from nearly the top of the tub. That suggests that the air below this stream has gone elsewhere - under the leading edge of the sidepods. Interestingly the flowviz stream stops at the floor edge cut out. I'm guessing it disappears through the cut out and under the edge of the floor. Would love to see some more images of the RedBull in this area.

I think the RedBull is this year's sleeper. I expect it to turn up in Oz and be very, very quick.

[The_table]

Any ideas as to how they would account for DRS or reduced downforce when they stall parts of the car?

[Morteza]

Via AMuS

[aral]

Once again, it has been necessary to remove some off topic posts. Aerodynamic and suspension have their own threads and such discussion should be there. This thread is about what is actually on the car . Speculation can be interesting but is just that....speculation.

[domh245]

Can anyone explain what the advantages of the ribbed (?) wheel are? Drag reduction or something else?

[Juzh]

Can anyone explain what the advantages of the ribbed (?) wheel are? Drag reduction or something else?

Heat dissipation.

[roon]

There's an image of the RedBull with flow viz along the sides of the tub and through the sidepod undercut.

Can you post it?

[Godius]

[Just_a_fan]

There's an image of the RedBull with flow viz along the sides of the tub and through the sidepod undercut.

Can you post it?

It's earlier in this thread:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5vfaZEWgAAUbH4.jpg:large

[Shrieker]

https://imgr4.auto-motor-und-sport.de/D ... 009856.jpg

Via AMuS

Man.. The back end of these cars look gorgeous.