Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24

[Shaddock]

The latest McLaren looks like a very aero led design, unlike previous years where by they have had the most compliant chassis over the kerbs and generally Ferrari beating mechanical grip. This years car looks to have reversed that trend with a ‘messy’ front suspension setup compared to Ferrari.

[axle]

The latest McLaren looks like a very aero led design, unlike previous years where by they have had the most compliant chassis over the kerbs and generally Ferrari beating mechanical grip. This years car looks to have reversed that trend with a ‘messy’ front suspension setup compared to Ferrari.

But with Mclaren's almost legendary tyre simulator do you really think they will have done that front suspension layout without it giving some form of benefit to next years tyres? I doubt that, but they will have minimised the aero losses generated due to 2 "arms" instead of 1...they will have used the arms as flow conditioners...

[chasefreak]

whats this is here mclaren legendary tyre simulator... never heard of this before

[axle]

whats this is here mclaren legendary tyre simulator... never heard of this before

They are believed to have the most sophisticated tyre simulation technology, which is one reason why they transferred to Brigestone from Michelin without too many issues...obviously Stepneygate helped too

[Shaddock]

The latest McLaren looks like a very aero led design, unlike previous years where by they have had the most compliant chassis over the kerbs and generally Ferrari beating mechanical grip. This years car looks to have reversed that trend with a ‘messy’ front suspension setup compared to Ferrari.

but they will have minimised the aero losses generated due to 2 "arms" instead of 1...they will have used the arms as flow conditioners...

I agree with you.

Look at the Brawn designed Ferrari's with their single keels and the Renault V keel designs. All sacrificed ultimate aero for better mechanical grip and this would suit some tracks but not others. When Brawn left Ferrari went to zero keel and lengthened their chassis to increase aero efficiency at the expense of ultimate mechanical grip.

Last year we saw Ferrari shorten their wheelbase to improve low speed handling, and McLaren lengthen theirs to improve aero in the twisty stuff. The designs of these cars are made of many compromises. You can’t design a car with the ultimate mechanical grip and fantastic aero at the same time. Trade offs have to be made in the cars design, McLaren seem to have gone down the aero route with their very high nose IMO.

McLarens of old use to be blighted by understeer on the Michelin tyres. The move to Bridgestone helped McLaren as the Bridgestones tended to be tail happy.

[ISLAMATRON]

Does anyone have a good clear pic or the rear of the mp4/24? Showing the diffuser & rear crash structure and rear bodywork exhaust? I've looked high & low and haven found much.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

It's hard to say, but they certainly have tried to look as close to 2008 as possible, while I think Ferrari are making steps towards the 2010 car, if you get my drift. Only thing is, who will come out better off in 2009.

I kind of think McLaren will struggle this year, like when Kimi drove for them. I would expect Raikkonen and Massa to have a hand each on the title half way through the year. Maybe more so Raikkonen but really either or will do.

I'm not too sure about that, I read in this month's F1 Racing magazine a short technical analysis of the Ferrari F60 vs. Mclaren MP4-24. The analysis is conducted by former F1 designer Alan Jenkins. Jenkins is quoted as saying:

I'd say that in every area the McLaren is very finely detailed. It looks more polished and "finished" than the Ferrari, but both are very good cars. When I saw the new Toyota I thought that it looked half decent, but you look at these two cars, and they are in a different league at the moment.

In the article Jenkins rates Mclaren's rear wing and clever "bargeboard" like appendages as impressive and sees the front wing as simple, beutiful and effective. But he also says Ferrari's Front wing is more complex and their "Sidepod turning vanes-cum-mirror supports" are also very clever.

The article finishes off with this statement:

Mclaren's MP4-24 is 10 months into the making, but what's worrying for Ferrari is that the Woking team are also two months into designing their 2010 car...

It's important to note that at the time of writing only the Ferrari, Toyota and Mclaren had been unveiled. Given these comments and looking at the difficulties Renault are having and the raw pace of the Williams, I may well be stating the obvious but, this year is going to be very, very interesting.

On a similar note in the same magazine there's an interview with Ron Dennis where he is asked who he thinks the top teams will be within his answer he says "...there will be a dark horse. I don't know who, but there WILL be a dark horse."

[Shaddock]

Does anyone have a good clear pic or the rear of the mp4/24? Showing the diffuser & rear crash structure and rear bodywork exhaust? I've looked high & low and haven found much.

This is all I could find

[Dimond]

This is an old rear wing. They set it cause it was very wet this day

[Shaddock]

This is an old rear wing. They set it cause it was very wet this day

Rear diffuser and crash structure all look the same.

[Dimond]

what is the crash structure on this picture?

[ISLAMATRON]

Great find Shaddock, Thanks. Not very imaginative with the rear diffuser were they? But the big question is where are they exiting all their sidepod exhaust cooling air? Very interesting.

The rear crash structre is what those rear lights are attached to.

I see a major rear end redesign in the their future. Or maybe not, I've read that they decided to attach their KERS motor/generator to their gearbox and maybe that is what is dictating their rear end aero design.

[Shaddock]

These are a couple of images of the Williams and Toyota's diffuser





McLarens, BMWs, Renaults and Ferrari's all look pretty similar IMO.

Imagine all the time and effort that has gone into the chassis construction from the design to baking the carbon fibre.

And yet, you just know that someone has taken a hacksaw and a Dremel to one of those cars, cutting holes in various places to try to replicate what Toyota and Williams have done with their diffuser.

Raising the height of centre section may be possible but getting airflow into the auxiliary channels may be an interesting challenge.

2006 Williams with and without rear crash structure.

[lkocev]

The reduced intake was a bit predictable, everyone knows the Mercedes-Benz engine requires considerably less cooling than most other engines, and running at a maximum 18,000 RPM, it would even be considerably less than last season.

I didn't know Merc engines require less cooling than the others. It was predictable compared to Ferrari's engines, but I don't know compared to Renault's.
As for fuel comsumption, please can somebody clarify me about Mercedes' engines being thirsty? I'm asking because I keep listening all the time that Mercs have higher fuel comsumption than the Italian engines.

Thanks a lot

They could be running richer to keep the temps down but all that is speculation unless we have the team data that truly says that their engine runs richer... they could actually have worse gas milage because they run more wing or have more drag... we dont know and probably never will.

You make a good point about the fuel consumption being tied to drag, and I think your probably right, in recent past years it would seem that the McLaren cars had a little more downfore, and there for a little more drag, by comparison to Ferrari. The front wings have generaly had more elements, and any winglets have generally appeared bigger. But I would also say that the Mercedes engines are probably being run a little richer because they do tend to keep the fuel hose on a little longer that you'd expect on their final stops by comparison to ferrari or bmw i guess. I also read a while ago about them using a lubricant of lower viscousity, and that allowed them to have a slightly less amount of oil in the dry-sump system, which is another thing that alowed them to partially close off their radiator intakes so often last season. This still leads me back to running richer fuel/air mixtures because its my understanding that lubricants of lower viscousity require a slightly lower engine average operating temperature...

[spaman]

Has anyone posted this yet?

Strange looking thing:


Rearwing & Strange looking thing:


Maybe McLaren is about to discover something substantially new?

Can anyone tell us anything about any of those things?