McLaren MCL36

[SmallSoldier]

The MCL36 will have small cooling gills alongside the cockpit (though, not showed in the renders or the launch car).

Also, an small cooling opening below the main one

https://i.imgur.com/HGNzYhW.jpg

That will dependent on ambient temperature race to race. No different from any other year or car

That would be my expectation too… Sam Collins mentioned that McLaren sent pictures of the car with the gills (which haven’t been part of the renders at the Launch)

[Blackout]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...

[MrGapes]

Obviously the cooling solutions this year with the addition of gills is a collection of compromises, and its about finding the most efficient method of releasing the losses without disturbing the airflow to the rear diffuser and rear wing, Personally a fan of McLaren's cannon cooling exit pushing the losses out between the beam wing and rear wing, think its a very clean approach. I do wonder if the gills hurt the rear wing performance a bit, or maybe that the extreme under cut is a sufficient consensus.

[Ryar]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...
https://i.imgur.com/UmHWptR.jpg

Why is that the whole sidepod area has bulged so much and has occupied larger area than before? I am not talking about the regulatory expansion, but all other area like even the sides of air intake is bulgy.

[SmallSoldier]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...
https://i.imgur.com/UmHWptR.jpg

Why is that the whole sidepod area has bulged so much and has occupied larger area than before? I am not talking about the regulatory expansion, but all other area like even the sides of air intake is bulgy.

Since there are no bargeboards to manage the front tire wake, using the sidepods for that job may be a thing this season… Driving the turbulence from the front wheels outwards is the main job of the front part of the side pods.

From a volume perspective, there is also less volume available at the side pods, since instead of a flat floor below them, you now have the tunnels running under them… Maximizing that volume (and therefore taking volume from the side pods themselves) was one of the challenges for these regulations.

The volume of the bodywork may not be as different as in previous iterations (and potentially smaller)

[the EDGE]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...
https://i.imgur.com/UmHWptR.jpg

Why is that the whole sidepod area has bulged so much and has occupied larger area than before? I am not talking about the regulatory expansion, but all other area like even the sides of air intake is bulgy.

Since there are no bargeboards to manage the front tire wake, using the sidepods for that job may be a thing this season… Driving the turbulence from the front wheels outwards is the main job of the front part of the side pods.

From a volume perspective, there is also less volume available at the side pods, since instead of a flat floor below them, you now have the tunnels running under them… Maximizing that volume (and therefore taking volume from the side pods themselves) was one of the challenges for these regulations.

The volume of the bodywork may not be as different as in previous iterations (and potentially smaller)

would I be right in saying that McLaren are also using the full width of the front of the pod under the intake, as opposed having a big undercut, to direct high pressure to spill over the floor edge to aid sucking air from under the car to increase downforce?

[proteus]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLWn_ibXsAA ... ame=medium

Surely I can't be the only one to see it?

Nope, I said that already after the test late last year when they showed the spec wheels.
Maybe if they tried a different colour than black, it would look better

I wonder what will this mean for brakes and cooling them. I know hubs were used more than a decade ago, but they had a bit of venting while this is practically closed shut.

[Ryar]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...
https://i.imgur.com/UmHWptR.jpg

Why is that the whole sidepod area has bulged so much and has occupied larger area than before? I am not talking about the regulatory expansion, but all other area like even the sides of air intake is bulgy.

Since there are no bargeboards to manage the front tire wake, using the sidepods for that job may be a thing this season… Driving the turbulence from the front wheels outwards is the main job of the front part of the side pods.

From a volume perspective, there is also less volume available at the side pods, since instead of a flat floor below them, you now have the tunnels running under them… Maximizing that volume (and therefore taking volume from the side pods themselves) was one of the challenges for these regulations.

The volume of the bodywork may not be as different as in previous iterations (and potentially smaller)

Thank you!

[SmallSoldier]

Why is that the whole sidepod area has bulged so much and has occupied larger area than before? I am not talking about the regulatory expansion, but all other area like even the sides of air intake is bulgy.

Since there are no bargeboards to manage the front tire wake, using the sidepods for that job may be a thing this season… Driving the turbulence from the front wheels outwards is the main job of the front part of the side pods.

From a volume perspective, there is also less volume available at the side pods, since instead of a flat floor below them, you now have the tunnels running under them… Maximizing that volume (and therefore taking volume from the side pods themselves) was one of the challenges for these regulations.

The volume of the bodywork may not be as different as in previous iterations (and potentially smaller)

would I be right in saying that McLaren are also using the full width of the front of the pod under the intake, as opposed having a big undercut, to direct high pressure to spill over the floor edge to aid sucking air from under the car to increase downforce?

They aren’t using the full width, there is still space they could use… But they are indeed trying to increase high pressure in that area to aid the floor edge and suck more air into the Tunnels

[MrGapes]

Would it be more effective to extend the side pod to the complete width limit to more effectively outwash the front tyre wake? Or is this the compromise to help seal the floor?

[DiogoBrand]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...
https://i.imgur.com/UmHWptR.jpg

Interesting to note that the lower wishbone elements are pretty much combined, sort of like Mercedes was doing a few years ago.

Would it be more effective to extend the side pod to the complete width limit to more effectively outwash the front tyre wake? Or is this the compromise to help seal the floor?

That way you'd increase the frontal area of the sidepods, increasing drag and creating more disturbance on the airflow to the rear of the car. Ideally you'd want no sidepods at all, but since you need them, it's just a matter of making them as compact as possible and playing around with where you put that volume to try and decrease the disadvantages.

[Blackout]

Maybe they'll keep the rear outlets consistent il all GPs and play with the gills instead...
https://i.imgur.com/UmHWptR.jpg

Interesting to note that the lower wishbone elements are pretty much combined, sort of like Mercedes was doing a few years ago.

I think it's a multi link 'wishbone', not like the 'Y' shaped 2014 Merc wishbone
And it seems they cascaded the lower wishbone arms and steering arm to induce downwash. :p (an old trick)

[siskue2005]

[Martin Keene]

That's not the race rear wing is it, there nowhere for the DRS to actually hinge from, hiding something or still waiting on the real one from production?
Will have to ask around

Yes, I noticed that too. The DRS pod is there, but there is no actual DRS in the rear wing, so I suspect the rear wing is from the show car, and they have yet to show us the real one.

[_cerber1]

Apparently, McLaren uses an internal inlet to cool the brakes between the wheel and the flap.