February Test Thread

[djos]

About Renault, could the difference have been the driver?

Certainly possible, Nelson Jr isn't exactly fast imo.

[djos]

Vettel has topped Heiki's* time of 1:20.799 from yesterday with a 1:20.738 a 10th faster than Lewis*.

*Both MacMerc Drivers still running '08 rear wing.

[scarbs]

I am surprised how much has been made of the McLaren oil streak (flow vis) test. This sort of test is often used by teams, BMW Williams did it on the launch day a few years back! And don’t think this is some admission of aero problems from McLaren, it’s a test to correlate simulation data, which is the bread and butter work of the aero guys.

Why at all
The test reveals the surface flows, while this is not the most important element of the cars aero, its still valuable and can be easily compared to CFD or wind tunnel tests. Of course the test is not fully controlled; the fluid has a mass, a viscosity and the car isn’t always in a straight-line, but the test is qualitative not quantitive, so the results are still comparable to other simulations.

Analysis
No clever equipment is used to evaluate the results, the car returns to the pits and the aero guys use normal digital cameras to record the streaks.

Where and why
Often this is applied under the front wing to see where its wake is heading, McLaren’s test applied the fluid to the front wishbones. with the new neutral mid front wing section ,the front suspension is the main flow conditioner is this area and with McLaren’s new mid placed steering arm, the test would the first chance to see how this arrangement responds in real life.

What is it
Paraffin and a fluorescent powder, the colour of the powder is only important in as much it needs to be easily seen, there is no need for it to have magical properties (pressure sensitive or glow in the dark)

How is it applied
Simply with a garden-type pump sprayer.

Why not both sides of the car
The car is symmetrical and hence the fluid only needs to be on one side. Besides you try cleaning it up! There will be traces of this on the car all the way through until the end of the test, some parts might never be fully cleaned!

[chasefreak]

are their any feeds to watch testing live

[djos]

Update from 12:51 Jerez Time:

1. S. Bourdais Toro Rosso Toro Rosso STR3 1:18.493 59 pit
2. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-24 1:20.737 +2.244 +2,244 25 pit
3. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing RB5 1:20.738 +2.245 +2,245 20 pit
4. K. Nakajima Williams Williamsburg FW31 1:20.898 +2.405 +2,405 32 pit
5. F. F Alonso Renault R29 1:21.307 +2.814 +2,814 55 pit

Lewis* fastest of the '09 cars over Vettel by 1/1000th of a second.


*MacMerc still running '08 wing.

[imightbewrong]

..meanwhile in Bahrain:

red flag

so much for toyota calling the rest idiots for not going there.. =)

[sebbe]

1. S. Bourdais Toro Rosso Toro Rosso STR3 1:18.493 59 pit
2. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-24 1:20.737 +2.244 +2,244 25 pit
3. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing RB5 1:20.738 +2.245 +2,245 20 pit
4. K. Nakajima Williams Williamsburg FW31 1:20.898 +2.405 +2,405 32 pit
5. F. F Alonso Renault R29 1:21.307 +2.814 +2,814 55 pit

Lewis* fastest of the '09 cars over Vettel by 1/1000th of a second.


*MacMerc still running '08 wing.

Ok, we've got it, you're a RB fan and you are way to excited with the results. But it is kind of useless at this stage of the season, really.
And McLaren was using a low downforce '08 wing to simulate this year's regulations.

[ben_watkins]

I am surprised how much has been made of the McLaren oil streak (flow vis) test. This sort of test is often used by teams, BMW Williams did it on the launch day a few years back! And don’t think this is some admission of aero problems from McLaren, it’s a test to correlate simulation data, which is the bread and butter work of the aero guys.
snip

Thanks very much Scarbs for clearing the whole issue up.. =D>

[jddh1]

I am surprised how much has been made of the McLaren oil streak (flow vis) test. This sort of test is often used by teams, BMW Williams did it on the launch day a few years back!

Scarbs, back then the internet was not invented therefore not much was done.
In fact, I'm checking with my sources to see if the wheel was invented pre- or post- 2004.

[ESPImperium]

http://www.mclaren.com/f1season/jerez-feb09-11.php

Good pace from the mclaren showed at last, as the link says macca say the reasoning behind the 08 wing was a lack of a High HD 09 spec wing, makes sense.

Im smelling a red herring there. I think that the McLaren has some rear stability problems with the 09 wing specs, and they havnt got a diffuser that can make up for the lack of grip.

Im shure that they could have had at least a good few wings made up for testing, or have they just asumed that they would have the grip and downforce required.

[timbo]

..meanwhile in Bahrain:
so much for toyota calling the rest idiots for not going there.. =)

Still they had good running on monday with proper temperatures.

[kilcoo316]

I am surprised how much has been made of the McLaren oil streak (flow vis) test. This sort of test is often used by teams, BMW Williams did it on the launch day a few years back! And don’t think this is some admission of aero problems from McLaren, it’s a test to correlate simulation data, which is the bread and butter work of the aero guys.

I'm surprised they bother.

I would be even more surprised if they attach much importance to the "data" collated.


I suppose when you can do it, why not?

[myurr]

http://www.mclaren.com/f1season/jerez-feb09-11.php

Good pace from the mclaren showed at last, as the link says macca say the reasoning behind the 08 wing was a lack of a High HD 09 spec wing, makes sense.

Im smelling a red herring there. I think that the McLaren has some rear stability problems with the 09 wing specs, and they havnt got a diffuser that can make up for the lack of grip.

Im shure that they could have had at least a good few wings made up for testing, or have they just asumed that they would have the grip and downforce required.

Think you're making far too much of it. If McLaren know that they're modifying the diffuser and rear wing to generate more downforce, why wait to test the balance - especially when they're focusing on long run pace (ie. tyre wear, reliability, etc.)

This is the first year where the teams have had the option to run last years higher downforce wing to simulate this kind of stuff. Why not utilise that option where it makes sense to do so?

[kilcoo316]

Think you're making far too much of it. If McLaren know that they're modifying the diffuser and rear wing to generate more downforce, why wait to test the balance - especially when they're focusing on long run pace (ie. tyre wear, reliability, etc.)

Indeed - its an entirely sensible thing to do to build a set-up map.

[Assuming they can hit the high downforce performance with the '09 wing that they are targetting]



They need to be wary of upstream effects, but for the rear wing these are not substantial. For the diffuser maybe more so.

This is the first year where the teams have had the option to run last years higher downforce wing to simulate this kind of stuff. Why not utilise that option where it makes sense to do so?

I think the teams ran multi-element rear wings in testing prior to the 3 element limitation, and then 3 elements prior to the 2 element limitation. They probably also did the same for front wings, but I cannot remember any specific instances.

Its not unheard of.

[waynes]

hadnt seen the paint from this angle and wasnt sure if you guys had too