McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[akshat21]

Didn't Jenson also test a new exhaust system in Hungary or in Germany??

[mekanikal_grip]

Nico tested a dumbed down version of the exhaust in FP1 in Germany, MS used it during FP2 and both cars ran the system in the race.

As the article points out the "full" version will likely be used in Belgium.

I'm aware of two teams challenging the legality

Two teams of different engine suppliers? Is this fully an engine feature as well, or will it require physical changes for McLaren to use it.

i'm pretty sure it's two different teams, with the same unit. Will find out more, although it'll probably hit the news by Belgium.

It was McLaren technology to begin with! Merc have been developing along side and have narrowed a lot of the issues. your last sentence re: physical changes, is close...!

[Owen.C93]

Nico tested a dumbed down version of the exhaust in FP1 in Germany, MS used it during FP2 and both cars ran the system in the race.

As the article points out the "full" version will likely be used in Belgium.

I'm aware of two teams challenging the legality

Two teams of different engine suppliers? Is this fully an engine feature as well, or will it require physical changes for McLaren to use it.

i'm pretty sure it's two different teams, with the same unit. Will find out more, although it'll probably hit the news by Belgium.

It was McLaren technology to begin with! Merc have been developing along side and have narrowed a lot of the issues. your last sentence re: physical changes, is close...!

Interesting. Ok thanks I'll keep an eye on it, we know JB used an "experimental" exhaust at some point as well.

[Javert]

It was McLaren technology to begin with! Merc have been developing along side and have narrowed a lot of the issues. your last sentence re: physical changes, is close...!

So you're saying the "little tank" is the previously known Octo-box, corrected by Mercedes ?

And the combustion phenomenes (by pulsing waves) of which the article speaks are the thing that precluded McLaren making Octopus work ?

[akshat21]

It was McLaren technology to begin with! Merc have been developing along side and have narrowed a lot of the issues. your last sentence re: physical changes, is close...!

So you're saying the "little tank" is the previously known Octo-box, corrected by Mercedes ?

And the combustion phenomenes (by pulsing waves) of which the article speaks are the thing that precluded McLaren making Octopus work ?

Maybe they combined forces like rbr and str...

[Coefficient]

well these pads show clearly rh and lh side markings -but tyre blankets have DIFFERENT markings rr,lr,rf,lr so that does not fit.why should they aasign the middle covers to left or ride side only? does not make much sense to me.

But I have seen more than once teams covering parts of the bodywork with cooling towels in parc ferme or coming back into the pits.I don´t think the bodywork and especially the paintjob like the hot exhausts ...maybe this way they can save the paintjob for the race...

They mark the main part of the tyre warmers LF, RF, RR and LR because the front and rear tyres are different widths and each tyre will have a specific temp target programmed into the warmer to achieve a particular tyre pressure. The Wheels are however the same diameter and front and back and as the front cover is passive they can be used front or rear.

They appear to have an unusual shape because the have been squashed into the L channel of the sidepods. They are circular and are Tyre Warmer Covers.

Look at the area to the front of the red swash on the side pod – notice how the raised section of the U-pod flattens out. The area behind the red swash, where the blanket sits is flat. This blanket is not squashed into any L-channel.

I'm convinced that it is either to keep the mechanic's hands and/or the paintwork cool with hot exhausts under there.

This launch spec picture is not representative of a current spec MP4-26. The sidepods are hugely different now.

[beelsebob]

This launch spec picture is not representative of a current spec MP4-26. The sidepods are hugely different now.

Here's (albeit a bit blurry) the hungary spec one – the channels still end well before that point:

[PlatinumZealot]

It was McLaren technology to begin with! Merc have been developing along side and have narrowed a lot of the issues. your last sentence re: physical changes, is close...!

So you're saying the "little tank" is the previously known Octo-box, corrected by Mercedes ?

And the combustion phenomenes (by pulsing waves) of which the article speaks are the thing that precluded McLaren making Octopus work ?

I think this whole thing is blown out of proportion... I think it looks similar to this:

Mugen twin loop exhaust. I suspect the F1 version may have more than two loops or even an annular chamber though. Just replace the muffler with that chamber and you will see what I mean.

[hardingfv32]

What would be the goal of this new exhaust system? More flow, a steady flow, etc. ?

Brian

[simieski]

Well for the purpose of supplying air to the diffuser look at the engine as a pump. Any piston pump will provide a pulsed output, so I guess the idea of this collector manifold would be to act as a ripple supressor providing a more stable laminar flow to the ebd. That's what we have ripple supressors on hydraulic systems at work for anyway just after swash plate pumps.

[Owen.C93]

Yeah, theoretically it should be more efficient. I have no clue what sort of gains are to be had though, it might just allow them to be even more aggressive on their map.

[raymondu999]

I think it's clear in the last two races that the McLaren front end is absolutely mighty. It's a lot stronger in the slow corners and the turn-in and direction change in the slow speed corners is awesome. Does anyone know why this is? Or at least which parts contribute to this?

[HampusA]

Yea noticed that too, Mclaren looks solid in slow corners etc.
It also pretty much always look super stuff compared to RBR which seems very soft in it´s setup.

[Richied76]

right i know your all going to laugh. but if legal wouldnt a pulse jet kind of system work perfectly as a exhaust? Its hard to explain my idea without pictures but if your wasting fuel on exhaust flow why not burni it purposly in the exhaust to create huge negative pressure behind the exhaust valve? Ok there are LOTS of reasons why this wudnt work like pulse jets need sustained air ingress/forsed induction to start...but thats where the engine comes in.

To be honest the playing around with pulse jets i've done made it really hard to believe that F1 teams had a problem with thermal protection in the first place.

Oh and just so you dont think i'm totaly crazy, i looked at N SMIKLES pic and all i could see was an expansion chamber, inlet and outlet....just like a pulse jet

[beelsebob]

right i know your all going to laugh. but if legal wouldnt a pulse jet kind of system work perfectly as a exhaust? Its hard to explain my idea without pictures but if your wasting fuel on exhaust flow why not burni it purposly in the exhaust to create huge negative pressure behind the exhaust valve? Ok there are LOTS of reasons why this wudnt work like pulse jets need sustained air ingress/forsed induction to start...but thats where the engine comes in.

To be honest the playing around with pulse jets i've done made it really hard to believe that F1 teams had a problem with thermal protection in the first place.

Oh and just so you dont think i'm totaly crazy, i looked at N SMIKLES pic and all i could see was an expansion chamber, inlet and outlet....just like a pulse jet

Haha, I made a thread a while ago proposing something like this – the biggest issue is fuelling it. The rules ban providing fuel to anything other than the engine.