McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[bot6]

+ beautiful front endplates
+ intersting winglets obove the sidepods

http://www.f1today.nl/foto.php?file=11908

Is there a slit near the trailing edge of the 3rd element on their new wing?

And also, why do they have such beefy (thick, large) vertical supports (the black ones). Since the front wing is no longer allowed to move, it seems those are close enough to the endplates that you wouldn't need them for actual structural support?

That is indeed a slit. Maybe to stabilize the flow of the trailing edge to delay stall.

These supports might simply be the place where the angle of attack of the front wing is tuned. Although the driver can't change the wing setting anymore, the mechanics can when setting up the car or during a pit stop. I guess most teams went back to the old screw tuning system with the mechanic using an enormously long allen key to tune the wing angle.

One thing is for sure, that front wing is a thing of beauty. The whole front of that car is simply gorgeous... Too bad the back doesn't follow suit esthetically speaking.

[Owen.C93]

Are you referring to that black line at the back of the front wing, because that's a small gurney flap not a slit.

[bot6]

Hard to make the difference with the inside of the endplate being black and the ground being dark grey...

But I do think it's a slit... Anybody got a better picture so we can make sure?

[forty-two]

It truly is hard to say for sure, but I think it's a gurney.

I like the offset camera mounts though, is this a first?

[tjaeger]

stark difference in engine placement and other packaging solutions.

look on the udercut, then the smoother curve leading around the front of the sidepods on the RB.
I think Mclaren may have some issues that may need to be worked around since there is a lot that cannot be changed too easily.

The L pods make a lot of other things suffer. Radiators have to lie flatter on the ground taking up more floor space, resulting in the the exhaust manifold not being able to be inched up more to the fuel tank.

There are some other little things, but i guess those can be gleaned from the picture.

green is estimate for mclaren, yellow, redbull.
blue rectangle is just for reference to estimate of engine back and also fuel tank.

Great illustration to show the essential differences in concepts. Thanks.

[wesley123]

stark difference in engine placement and other packaging solutions.

look on the udercut, then the smoother curve leading around the front of the sidepods on the RB.
I think Mclaren may have some issues that may need to be worked around since there is a lot that cannot be changed too easily.

The L pods make a lot of other things suffer. Radiators have to lie flatter on the ground taking up more floor space, resulting in the the exhaust manifold not being able to be inched up more to the fuel tank.

There are some other little things, but i guess those can be gleaned from the picture.

green is estimate for mclaren, yellow, redbull.
blue rectangle is just for reference to estimate of engine back and also fuel tank.

What you have to keep in mind is that the Red Bull uses an ultra long gearbox, so probably their engine is a bit more forward compared to waht you'd expect.

With the L-shaped sidepods they are just cutting off alot of frontal area, resulting in less drag, effectively allowing them to bolt on more downforce. With this car they just got to win Italy and Canada, even if it does not prove that quick

[tjaeger]

Both RB as well as McLaren blowing the exhaust gas directly onto the tires. Ain't that going to cause major trouble, overheating and degradation of the tires? Obv it cannot, otherwise they would not do it, however kind of strange. Temperatures at this point got to be still, what?, maybe 400 deg C?

[Blackout]

And this diffuser is new

[Robbobnob]

I think Red Bull would have done a lot of evaluation on tire temperatures during their extended running and has obviously not been a concern or the exhaust solution would have been changed.. any speculation on the tyre temps would just be irrelevant

[CHT]

And this diffuser is new

The MP4-26 does remind me of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

[volarchico]

Are you referring to that black line at the back of the front wing, because that's a small gurney flap not a slit.

I guess I can't see how it could be a gurney, since I can see through it? Maybe a trick of the camera (or my brain) and I'm imagining seeing through it. I'll just have to wait for a better picture (different angle) of the front wing... And usually a gurney is on the extreme trailing edge, whereas this is offset forward be a few mm.

[volarchico]

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af2 ... et/182.gif

stark difference in engine placement and other packaging solutions.
...

Great comparison image! Really nicely matched up. One comment though, it seems McLaren weren't looking for a steep undercut or quickly falling away sidepods because they've directed the flow over the channel of the sidepods instead of around it. So instead of causing "suffering", the L might actually give them more internal room to work with since they don't have to taper as much to get clear air to the beam wing.

[kalinka]

One comment though, it seems McLaren weren't looking for a steep undercut or quickly falling away sidepods because they've directed the flow over the channel of the sidepods instead of around it. So instead of causing "suffering", the L might actually give them more internal room to work with since they don't have to taper as much to get clear air to the beam wing.

+1

And probably RBR has a higher CoG. Everything above that blue line/box in ringo's picture is fatter then on the McLaren. I think they have more stuff packed just under the engine cover. Also the "missing" volume at "coke bottle" area between the green and yellow line...they have to place things higher to free up that area. But that's just for the CoG, maybe there are much bigger advantages in other aspects of the RBR packaging, and they don't care so much about it...just an observation.

[tom12333]

One comment though, it seems McLaren weren't looking for a steep undercut or quickly falling away sidepods because they've directed the flow over the channel of the sidepods instead of around it. So instead of causing "suffering", the L might actually give them more internal room to work with since they don't have to taper as much to get clear air to the beam wing.

+1

And probably RBR has a higher CoG. Everything above that blue line/box in ringo's picture is fatter then on the McLaren. I think they have more stuff packed just under the engine cover. Also the "missing" volume at "coke bottle" area between the green and yellow line...they have to place things higher to free up that area. But that's just for the CoG, maybe there are much bigger advantages in other aspects of the RBR packaging, and they don't care so much about it...just an observation.

As far as CoG is concerned. If it's a fuel tank that makes RBR fatter in that area it would be a disadvantage mainly in race situation (with a lot fuel aboard). In qualification it could be not such a bad thing (apart form slightly more drag).

[zgred]