Front Wing F-Duct

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Please can we lock this thread so as not to divulge any further info that may otherwise render Mercedes innovations useless?

Cmon? PLEEEEEASE?

[n_anirudh]

So why is it blown towards the slot in the mainplane--as shown in the first image??

Would make sense if its blown normally...

[Ferraripilot]

Don't sweat it JET. The cat's out of the bag but now the other teams are behind the 8-ball in trying to catch up to the technology. If it were that incredibly important I have no doubt MB has the means to make sure no one was snapping such great detailed photos let alone drawings depecting how it works!

[Yogibear]

This look very much like something that I worked on.

Whilst I cant be 100% sure I believe that the outlet on the wing will provide a stream of slower moving air onto the upper side of the wing. This will in effect increse the pressure dfference between the upper and lower surfaces further still than if the wing was used in a conventional manner.

If this is the case its not an F-Duct just clever ducting and manipulation of the airflow.

[mep]

The explanaition by yogibear even makes sense but you don't need to take the air from the nose tip you can take it from the leading edge of the wing.
There is a duct visible on the picture.
Taking the air from the nose is in my opinion a ridicolous idea of a jornalist.

[Robbobnob]

IMO it seems it will cause boundary layer separation, for drag reduction at high speeds.

Whether they have a fluidic switch in the system or not, i suspect that saturation of the air flow will be targeted for high speeds, to ensure grip through the corners

[creedbratton]

Inlet at stagnation point? Really?

[shelly]

Can you please elaborate on that? Do you have doubts about inlet positioning?

[creedbratton]

At stagnation the local airspeed is 0, so why position an inlet where there will be no mass flow?

[Tozza Mazza]

Where would it come out?

It can't be in the central section to kill lift, and this is where flow is least disturbed, and it can't be in the pylons, as these must be closed.

I don't think Merc are running this, but it will be interesting to see if they are.

[shelly]

It is the best place for placing an inlet - if you remove the wall there is no stagnation.

[forty-two]

Correct me if I am wrong guys, but I don't remember Merc running a duct placed centrally on the TOP of the tub (similar to McLaren's "F" duct) as seen in the second picture above.

Is this new?

Might this be the actual inlet?

Might this be there to make up for the loss of the nose inlet?


Too many questions! Sorry guys!

[marekk]

For me it makes sense only if the outlet slits are positioned on the low pressure (ground facing) side of the wing (like original F-duct did).

You could use it either to:

1. Kill the downforce and drag at high speeds, by blowing against external flow and causing separation. Can be probably fine tuned to work automatically, i.e. switch on at some given speed, and merc was rumored to have such semiautomatic F-duct last year, so maybe they have some experience with this.

2. Enhance downforce (with small drag penalty) by blowing tangentially backwards, preventing separation and allowing for more aggressive geometry.

In both cases slits have to be positioned far more to the outside, on the downforce generating parts of the wing.

[yener]

Mercedes is really stupid to test the front Fduct at Japan!

Now they will not get any advantage of it! The news is on almost every F1 webpage.

Everybody will drive with that next year!

[GSBellew]

Correct me if I am wrong guys, but I don't remember Merc running a duct placed centrally on the TOP of the tub (similar to McLaren's "F" duct) as seen in the second picture above.

Is this new?

Might this be the actual inlet?

Might this be there to make up for the loss of the nose inlet?


Too many questions! Sorry guys!

The inlet on top of the tub appeared on Michaels car in Spa and then both had it in Monza.