roon wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 18:24
Could part of the reason for Merc's larger wings (more frontal area) be due to the narrowness of their nose? Compare it to Ferrari in the previous image. I presume the wide RB-type noses produce more downforce than Merc's popsicle stick. So they make it back up in the wings.
Lots of reasons, I think. I mean, look at the suspension: Mercedes are trying to get it it has high as possible (Allison said it was even higher than last year) and hence get air underneath, straight to the bargeboards etc.
I’m no aerodynamicist but it’s quite well visually illustrated in the above comparison that the way the Ferrari wing flares up in the inboard section would block some of that space under the suspension, so I can understand why they prefer a wing that has the oppposite shape - curving slightly up to the outboard part at the endplate. For Ferrari, that’s not a problem as they do the exact opposite of with their suspension: I.e. they’ve pushed as low as possible to be introduce an unobstructed airflow to the sidepods - hence they’re not bothered about that high inboard wing.
It’s almost certainly a total philosophy thing and my assessment is very armchair aerodynamicist - I’m sure it’s more complex than how i’m Interpreting it - but I think it shows how the two cars are trying to do two very different things and hence the same solutions won’t work across them.
