Team: Tim Goss (director of engineering), Paddy Lowe (TD), Neil Oatley (DRD), Martin Whitmarsh (TP), Jonathan Neale (MD), Sam Michael (SD) Drivers: Jenson Button (5), Sergio Pérez (6)
A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
"The further rear you can get with the air intake" or something like that a.k.a. if you go further back with that part of the air intake you can better manage the airflow in conjunction with the turning vanes and bargeboards. Or at least that's what I understand.
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985
Since the sidepod intakes are bigger than on the mp4-27, I think that the position of the radiators will be different: compared to last year, when mcl had them almost horizontal, I think they will be in a more vertical position and more forward.
The radiators being closer to the sidepod intake, with a shorter conveyor, would explain why the intakes are bigger: for the same mass flow rate (which is reasonable to expect), if the average speed is smaller the cross section of the stream tube must be bigger.
That implies that the pressure at the inlet is bigger, and I think that is the purpose -a higher pressure in that zone could make the floor leading edge work harder, with a deeper suction peak
They are comparing Launch 2012 with launch 2013, and that is not the car that raced for half the year. They should compare with the end of 2012 car, they are much closer on design. Still some differences. Specially front suspension
Life long F1 fan. Always learning about all the tech around my favorite sport.
I think they'll have the same clearance between the floor and the wheels. Also the team take the floor to the geometric extreme (ie width and length) allowed by the rules. Those rules haven't changed, so I'd expect the floor dimensions to be very similar.
Perhaps the shadows between the rear wheels in last years pics makes the floor appear bigger?
The distance between the floor and the rear wheels is the same on both cars, if you look closely you can see that the photo of the '27 in taken from an angle (compare the engine air intakes).
Even if it's not as close... Teams almost always fit fake floors with strakes both in the diffuser and on top removed (as it appears McLaren has done here), it's entirely reasonable to believe that their show floor is built to extremely low tolerances, so as not to get gravel trapped in there and puncture the tyres.
One thing that is very noticable on the side comparison is the rake angle , it just shows how much of the sealing effect around the diffuser they have clawed back in the last year.
stefan_ wrote:"The further rear you can get with the air intake" or something like that a.k.a. if you go further back with that part of the air intake you can better manage the airflow in conjunction with the turning vanes and bargeboards. Or at least that's what I understand.
Thanks.
I have a question
Would these ''extensions'' be a mean to somehow increase floor's size ? (in addition to their other aim: hide a bodywork part)
ledzep4pm wrote:One thing that is very noticable on the side comparison is the rake angle , it just shows how much of the sealing effect around the diffuser they have clawed back in the last year.
Publicity shots mean --- in regards to rake at this stage.
Motorsport Graduate in search of team experience ;)