Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power +

[AMG.Tzan]

Seems like Mercedes is relying way too much on its front wing...and that has been the case the last 2-3 years at least!! That's why whenever they fall behind another car they are nowhere!! I think the front wing was an element the new rules should have taken into consideration...had they simplified it I think the cars would have been able to follow each other...but that's another topic...!
On another note Mercedes seems to be more influenced when running in full-mid fuel weight...because Hamilton said that he felt comfortable only in the last laps!!

[i70q7m7ghw]

Seems like Mercedes is relying way too much on its front wing...and that has been the case the last 2-3 years at least!! That's why whenever they fall behind another car they are nowhere!! I think the front wing was an element the new rules should have taken into consideration...had they simplified it I think the cars would have been able to follow each other...but that's another topic...!

I don't think Merc's front wing design is that much different to other teams. The FIA did address the problem with the front wing by creating the neutral central section. I think it's a bit early to say the car is poor in dirty air, we need to see it at a few different tracks first.

[torpor]

AMuS wrote that the W08 is 5 kg too heavy. That makes it 0,2 secs per lap slower.
Long fat beast!

[Raleigh]

W08 is longer than the Marussia MR03 which was an absolute limo as far as F1 cars go.

Maybe the longest F1 car ever? Certainly the longest of the modern era.

[Chene_Mostert]

W08 is longer than the Marussia MR03 which was an absolute limo as far as F1 cars go.

Maybe the longest F1 car ever? Certainly the longest of the modern era.

Well, they need that extra length to fit " Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ power +".

[Thunder]

Seems like Mercedes is relying way too much on its front wing...and that has been the case the last 2-3 years at least!! That's why whenever they fall behind another car they are nowhere!! I think the front wing was an element the new rules should have taken into consideration...had they simplified it I think the cars would have been able to follow each other...but that's another topic...!
On another note Mercedes seems to be more influenced when running in full-mid fuel weight...because Hamilton said that he felt comfortable only in the last laps!!

I think it's not just the Front wing. It's that whole bunch of very complex Aero appendages down the Road that suffer more from dirty Air than a clean and Basic Car like the Red Bull. Marc Surer on Sky Germany also mentioned it this Weekend. The Car is just built to blast away from the Field and then Manage the Race. I could be wrong but that is my impression.

[Shakeman]

AMuS wrote that the W08 is 5 kg too heavy. That makes it 0,2 secs per lap slower.
Long fat beast!

All cars are at their heaviest this time of year as many parts will be conservative with regards to pushing the strength/weight boundary and they'll be losing weight as new parts are developed. This also means they'll have more options where to place the ballast to tune setup.

Too much can be read into the first race where a Merc tactical blunder rather flattered Ferrari. It's going to be close all year so blunders will be costly. But I have a feeling it's going to be dull.

[godlameroso]

Are Mercedes using exhaust blowing? Looks like a lot of exhaust soot on the crash structure, maybe they're burning more than just gasoline at times as I'd imagine it's burning pretty clean other than NOx.


HMM, plot thickens...


Hmm, it's pretty much mashed potatoes at this point.

[kooleracer]

Seems like Mercedes is relying way too much on its front wing...and that has been the case the last 2-3 years at least!! That's why whenever they fall behind another car they are nowhere!! I think the front wing was an element the new rules should have taken into consideration...had they simplified it I think the cars would have been able to follow each other...but that's another topic...!
On another note Mercedes seems to be more influenced when running in full-mid fuel weight...because Hamilton said that he felt comfortable only in the last laps!!

I think it's not just the Front wing. It's that whole bunch of very complex Aero appendages down the Road that suffer more from dirty Air than a clean and Basic Car like the Red Bull. Marc Surer on Sky Germany also mentioned it this Weekend. The Car is just built to blast away from the Field and then Manage the Race. I could be wrong but that is my impression.

I just have to reply to the notion that the Mercedes can't follow a car. The first race of the season and we are back at it again about the Mercedes and following cars.

Fact 1: Albert Park has always been difficult to overtake.
Fact 2: when the Mercedes needs to pass someone it is usually a Red Bull or a Ferrari, those a fast cars with some of the best drivers in F1 in them passing those dudes would never be easy.
Fact 3: The Mercedes can't​ overtake please explain Lewis's rides from the back to podium, like Spa last year. It always seem to come up when peoole expect to just blast pass cars like in 2014, but the performance gap is always closing, so easy overtakes are now only possible against the weaker cars and drivers that is logical.

When kimi was stuck behind verstappen does it mean the Ferrari can't follow (2016). Vettel could also only follow Hamilton does it mean the Ferrari is bad in dirty air, no of course not. Lewis was also following Verstappen he could could not pass​ him just like Vettel could only follow Hamilton and could not pas him, it is completly the same thing. Of course the W08 can follow cars and pass them, it just depends on track and the car and driver it is following. Just like any other F1 car.

A Mercedes not being able to pass a Red Bull in Albert Park, shocking........

[Shakeman]

I think it's not just the Front wing. It's that whole bunch of very complex Aero appendages down the Road that suffer more from dirty Air than a clean and Basic Car like the Red Bull. Marc Surer on Sky Germany also mentioned it this Weekend. The Car is just built to blast away from the Field and then Manage the Race. I could be wrong but that is my impression.

I'm not an aerodynamicist so forgive me if I say something stupid.

Isn't the complexity of the Merc aero just Merc chasing those every decreasing returns just like Ferrari are doing with their diffuser fins? Merc still have a basic aero package underneath all these refinements which will be affected in the same way as the RB aero package or maybe even work better over more diverse flow fields than a basic package and make better use of the disrupted air?

Now there maybe some mileage in discussing the percentage of downforce Merc are generating with their body shape and how much is generated by the floor compared to the RB car's body and floor? I wonder which loses most DF when following another car, a car which relies more upon the body shape for DF or a car that may rely upon the floor for DF? Has anyone ever calculated these scenario?

[CLKGTR]

Why teams stuggle so much with the weight - Mercedes 5kg above the weight limit

https://maxf1.net/en/mercedes-w08-five- ... um-weight/

[godlameroso]

I think it's not just the Front wing. It's that whole bunch of very complex Aero appendages down the Road that suffer more from dirty Air than a clean and Basic Car like the Red Bull. Marc Surer on Sky Germany also mentioned it this Weekend. The Car is just built to blast away from the Field and then Manage the Race. I could be wrong but that is my impression.

I'm not an aerodynamicist so forgive me if I say something stupid.

Isn't the complexity of the Merc aero just Merc chasing those every decreasing returns just like Ferrari are doing with their diffuser fins? Merc still have a basic aero package underneath all these refinements which will be affected in the same way as the RB aero package or maybe even work better over more diverse flow fields than a basic package and make better use of the disrupted air?

Now there maybe some mileage in discussing the percentage of downforce Merc are generating with their body shape and how much is generated by the floor compared to the RB car's body and floor? I wonder which loses most DF when following another car, a car which relies more upon the body shape for DF or a car that may rely upon the floor for DF? Has anyone ever calculated these scenario?

Depends, it's hard to answer in this context because the cars use the flow structures from the wings and bodywork to seal the floor, so if these structures get disrupted then the seal is gone and the diffuser won't work as well.

[SectorOne]

Fairly interesting article on the Mercedes and how the longer wheelbase was needed because they realized the high-rake setup was too much of a risk.

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... isch%29%29

I don´t know just how credible this is but it makes sense to me at least.

[Juzh]

Fairly interesting article on the Mercedes and how the longer wheelbase was needed because they realized the high-rake setup was too much of a risk.

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... isch%29%29

I don´t know just how credible this is but it makes sense to me at least.

1 point is 0.02s If I'm not mistaken, so 1.2s loss when they tried red bull-like rake setup.

[roon]

https://i.redd.it/smb9oqafgxny.jpg

Are Mercedes using exhaust blowing? Looks like a lot of exhaust soot on the crash structure, maybe they're burning more than just gasoline at times as I'd imagine it's burning pretty clean other than NOx.

http://i.imgur.com/Usyvb8H.jpg
HMM, plot thickens...

http://i.imgur.com/cZHlukb.jpg
Hmm, it's pretty much mashed potatoes at this point.

Do you think it might just be track dust? Compare to the outside surface of the endplate on the left hand side of the image—similar coloring & effect. Also, look at the lower endplate slats/gills/louvers (whatever they're called) on the right hand side of the image. Similar coating, it seems.

Within the rules I don't know how they'd get an exhaust stream all the way down there. The video showing a plume slowly rising off the floor at rev-up during the pit-lane start is interesting though (your screencaps). Still not sure what it could be.

During that sequence, oil & water pressure would be increasing, exhaust flow would increase, headers and pipes would heat up. But would any of this relate to causing a plume in that specific location?