Farnborough wrote: ↑13 Mar 2025, 09:36
A good detailed image. My perception is that the exhaust system is more expansive into sidepod area ( laterally) before heading back to centre line in feeding the compressor located there.
Unsure if that's true and trying to find a comparative image. It LOOKS less tightly folded in against engine exhaust port location, but that's just from memory and not conclusive.
Now clearly confirmed, with further thoughts on what its doing.
I'd agree that aero influence would be of interest and likely ONE of the design criteria here. They must have flagged this to their "partner" teams quite early in gestation in allowing those also to plan architecture of chassis, components and aero skin around rear of car to maintain equality of PU supply through to those customers. Probably around July 2024 in reasonable planning for this in each team.
Function as exhaust though must be looking to offer gain too. From tightly folded original in this era ... likely to facilitate zero type MB architecture ..... could now be expanded in offering tangible flow benefit to PU combustion engineers. The ICE being frozen, but the exit manifold (I believe ? ) must be free of that restriction, else they couldn't change to this updated design
will likely involve run maps and flexibility in that function. With that and "reliability" reasons, then it can quite legally provide no ultimate peak gain, but more likely allow operating at highest load mapping (what was called "party" mode) to be deployed for longer period over a lap in qualifying and specifically Q3 deployment. This to run at the peak/elevated output for longer period without compromising reliability.
These PU were noticeably potent in Q toward the end of last season, with this first race now seeing quite a few of this MB unit moving around in the top ten field. They certainly look pacey in use right now.
Appears like a combined aero streamline potential along with realistic operational gain in deployment under absolute demand.
