Mercedes AMG F1 W07

[wesley123]

The thing about this "W-floor" (or "air trimmer"...) is that it seems to sacrifice -at least partially- the vortex shed by the lower edge of the bargeboard. To my knowledge, the positive effects of this vortex are kinda huge, so the new system must be very effective. Also, it doesn't seem like the new elements are trying to produce smaller vortices on a wider scale... Probably they work taking advantage of the excess of high pressure (just in front of the sidepod) to increase the airflow that will be extracted by that little diffuser on the side of the floor.
Sounds like a good theory?

Looks to me like it is trying to enhance the vortex on the floor edge. Could possibly also have something to do with the vortices shed from the bat-wing and the front wing. The Merc is packed with elements in the area of the front wheel.

[matt_s]

As said, it's not really an innovation. Lotus ran such bargeboards back in 2013. Don't know about Ferrari.

Realise that all of that is applying existing concepts all over the car. Remember the sharkteeth on the back of the front wing last year? Exactly the same, but on a different part of the car. This is finetuning and experimenting with finetuning.

I don't think the 'innovation' is the bargeboards, it's the strakes/VGs that are working on the floor - and the way they are integrated with the bargeboards.

[turbof1]

The serrated floor is nothing more then a further development on the serrated bargeboard. As you said, it is made to work in unison.

[variante]

@bhall
No, i don't think it has much to do with vortices this time (...and i'm usually the first one to bring up the vortices thing!)
I admit that, at first sight, the W-floor looks similar to the traditional vortex generators placed at the beginning of the floor, but the orientation of the elements does not seem the right one to produce vortices.

I believe that those elements are used increase airflow to the little diffuser nearby, as well as generaring downforce by themselves.

That's how the airflow looks like in that area. Possibly i'll be proven wrong by a photo taken from a different angle, but I don't see how a vortex can be shed by those elements.

Looks to me like it is trying to enhance the vortex on the floor edge.

That's very possible, but hardly predictable just by looking at it.

[dans79]

The most impressive thing about this car so far, is it's reliability. Nico could get ~180 laps in today. Two days worth of work, and they will have almost run an engine through its expected life span.

[mantikos]

The serrated floor is nothing more then a further development on the serrated bargeboard. As you said, it is made to work in unison.

So the double diffuser was a further development of the single diffuser? I mean, the fact of the matter remains, it is a new concept that no one has run before, aka innovative.

[Pierce89]

The serrated floor is nothing more then a further development on the serrated bargeboard. As you said, it is made to work in unison.

So the double diffuser was a further development of the single diffuser? I mean, the fact of the matter remains, it is a new concept that no one has run before, aka innovative.

I agree with turbo. This is just the next step in working the barge boards harder, as well as the the little extension everyone uses as a small diffuser for the laterally traveling air.
The only thinget that I see as any real step change is that the small VGs(or whatever they are) could give a good chunk of front downforce, if they all send small vortices under the floor.

[Chene_Mostert]

I'll be surprised if they carry this "innovation" into the season. This looks like the type of appendage that could contribute to "sensitive" aerodynamics.
Also it can drastically alter the aero balance once the slots start getting clogged up with debris during a race.

[Just_a_fan]

Looking at the shapes of the barge board elements suggests they're doing more than one thing with it.

The inner three boards are aligned longitudinally at their bases. This lines the flow up with the leading edge of the floor. The upper portions of these inner boards are angled as one would expect. They'll produce a vortex as usual. This vortex being directed around the sidepod undercut. The horizontal combs are presumably shaped to use the flow to enhance vorticity under the floor's leading edge. Results in downforce gains in this "neutral" location.

The outer sections of the board are angled outwards, particularly the innermost of the three. This is presumably trying to work the "wing" that supports the sidepod endplate device. This, in conjunction the flap at the floor's outer edge, will likely make more downforce in the "neutral" location on the car.

By neutral I mean it's close to the centre of mass and so doesn't affect the car's handling so much as it changes. It will also reinforce the edge sealing of the floor. Maybe the enhanced slots in front of the rear wheel benefit from this sealing - or more likely enhance the effect just before the "squirt zone".

This is not like anything we've seen before. It's a new concept in barge board flow conditioning. Other barge boards have just been fiddling with the basic idea.

[bhall II]

Generally speaking: if 100% originality is required in order for something to be deemed innovative, then nothing has been innovative for a loooooooooooooooooooooong time.

@bhall
No, i don't think it has much to do with vortices this time (...and i'm usually the first one to bring up the vortices thing!)
I admit that, at first sight, the W-floor looks similar to the traditional vortex generators placed at the beginning of the floor, but the orientation of the elements does not seem the right one to produce vortices.

I believe that those elements are used increase airflow to the little diffuser nearby, as well as generaring downforce by themselves.

That's how the airflow looks like in that area. Possibly i'll be proven wrong by a photo taken from a different angle, but I don't see how a vortex can be shed by those elements.

My interpretation is predicated upon the idea that the strakes turn inward. Like so...

If that's not the case, then I might be inclined to believe the design's purpose is something else.

[Ferraripilot]

I agree. They definitely appear point inward

[F1Krof]

Such an extravagant claim such early... hmm, could this be just a coy to mislead people from looking at this extravagant piece while they're focus is completely somewhere else?

[Pierce89]

Sorry to sound like a party pooper, but I don't see this as revolutionary . Just iterative development like the slots in front of the rear wheel which keep multiplying .

[RA168E]

Could this, at speed prove to be like the Flexi-Wings of yesteryear? Or am I completely missing something here

[SectorOne]

Well first of all, are you allowed to have strakes on the underside of the floor?
Yes? then they might extend and we´re seeing half of them basically.
No? Then that´s all there is to it.