Team: Eric Boullier (RD), Jonathan Neale (COO), Neil Oatley (Director of Design & Development), Tim Goss (TD), Simon Roberts (OD), Matt Morris (Engineering Director), Peter Prodromou (CE), Paul James (TM), Guillaume Cattelani (HA), Stephen Watt (Head of Engineering), Marianne Hinson (Head of Aerodynamic Design and Technology), Christian Schramm (Head of Racing Technology), Philip Prew (CE), Mark Ingham (Head of Design), Kari Lammenranta (CM) Drivers: Fernando Alonso (14), Stoffel Vandoorne (2) Team name: McLaren Honda
A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but since when does introducing7 higher pressure into an area of lower pressure(because that's how a wing works) increase downforce?
When you start thinking in terms of adding energy to the flow to help it traverse a very adverse pressure gradient. In other words the end plates should increase downforce by allowing a more agressive aerofoil.
“To be able to actually make something is awfully nice”
Bruce McLaren on building his first McLaren racecars, 1970
“I've got to be careful what I say, but possibly to probably Juan would have had a bigger go”
Sir Frank Williams after the 2003 Canadian GP, where Ralf hesitated to pass brother M. Schumacher
I think they play a very important role similar to the louvres above the wing. Those bleed high pressure air. In your (simple) reasoning these would reduce downforce. The thing is that by bleeding some high pressure air they reduce the wing tip vortex and a such reduce drag. It's a matter of compromises. The slots bellow work similar to the louvres but in the opposite way.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but since when does introducing7 higher pressure into an area of lower pressure(because that's how a wing works) increase downforce?
When you start thinking in terms of adding energy to the flow to help it traverse a very adverse pressure gradient. In other words the end plates should increase downforce by allowing a more agressive aerofoil.
I didn't think of that. Helping to prevent stall at higher angles then?
Perhaps I'm missing something, but since when does introducing7 higher pressure into an area of lower pressure(because that's how a wing works) increase downforce?
When you start thinking in terms of adding energy to the flow to help it traverse a very adverse pressure gradient. In other words the end plates should increase downforce by allowing a more agressive aerofoil.
I didn't think of that. Helping to prevent stall at higher angles then?
Why would they just not add vortex generators to the leading edge of the rear wing if they wanted to energise the boundary layer?
Is that a gurney on the right side of the wing, or is that an orange outline to highlight the shape?
It's an orange outline. The rest of the article's photos feature similar outlines. I'm not sure I agree with the article that the wing is a new design, as the camera angles are substantially different between the images used for comparisons.
You mean the Orange line? Yes that's because apparently they have 2 different Top Flaps and it was drawn to illustrate that. A different Colour would have helped clear confusion though.