McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes (pre-launch speculation)

[Shakeman]

DON'T MENTION THE DEAD ZONE!!

+1 ,,, if anyone ever works for McLaren, never ever mention the dead zone

This sounds interesting! What's that?

A contractor spilled the beans on the F-Duct and got fired. As I understand it the Dead Zone was what McLaren referred to the F-Duct internally.

[ianwit]

When I was involved with F1 cars many moons ago the side pods were not part of the tub, is that still the case?

[Tozza Mazza]

When I was involved with F1 cars many moons ago the side pods were not part of the tub, is that still the case?

Recently the leading edge of the sidepod, which houses the crash structures are mounted/structured parts of the tub.

I think theyre structured parts!!

[ringo]

Not the best of photoshops, but maybe they'll go ridiculously wide on the side pod openings.
I'll read the regs on the side pod height, but the crash structure height is the same correct?

They can keep the undercut, but widen the opening and keep the pod low.
Maybe go as wide as 1400mm from center line. Add a nice little aero shape to it and they're good to go.

edited the width.

[ringo]

passes this rule:

3.8.2 No bodywork between the rear wheel centre line and a line 800mm forward of the rear wheel
centre line, which is more than 375mm from the car centre line, may be more than 500mm
above the reference plane

this wont be an issue since this is further to rear where the sidepods taper in.

3.8.3 No bodywork between the rear wheel centre line and a line 400mm forward of the rear wheel
centre line, which is more than 375mm from the car centre line, may be more than 300mm
above the reference plane.

[timbo]

Not the best of photoshops, but maybe they'll go ridiculously wide on the side pod openings.

I thought there's a limit on sidepod width?

[ringo]

3.4.1 Bodywork width between the front and the rear wheel centre lines must not exceed 1400mm

The side pods may be as wide as the floor as i haven't see anything else preventing it.
The disadvantage is drag and how bluff the sidepods will be; ie if they were conventionally shaped.

[Robbobnob]

The real trick with that setup is getting decent flow through a radiator, perhaps combined with a unconventional radiator setup like the one you proposed might be a wild card for sure!

[timbo]

3.4.1 Bodywork width between the front and the rear wheel centre lines must not exceed 1400mm

The side pods may be as wide as the floor as i haven't see anything else preventing it.

So, it's 1400, not 1700 anyway, IMO it's already on the limit, as teams tend to maximize floor area.

[jordangp]

All modern cars have their sidepods as of 2011 the full eidth of the floor anyway. the problem with lowering the height is the side impact structures

[aleks_ader]

The real trick with that setup is getting decent flow through a radiator, perhaps combined with a unconventional radiator setup like the one you proposed might be a wild card for sure!

Yeh in that ringo design rads just turn for 90° right (longitudial rads axix)... That will drasticaly improve heat flow throw sidepods....

[aleks_ader]

All modern cars have their sidepods as of 2011 the full eidth of the floor anyway. the problem with lowering the height is the side impact structures

Maybe they could make some sort crash frame around it?

[Tozza Mazza]

All modern cars have their sidepods as of 2011 the full eidth of the floor anyway. the problem with lowering the height is the side impact structures

Actually teams have started making sidepods a little narrower than the floor, to get the shape as tight as possible, and lower C/D a little.

This can also be seen on Ringo's design

[Giblet]

A contractor spilled the beans on the F-Duct and got fired. As I understand it the Dead Zone was what McLaren referred to the F-Duct internally.

That is not quite right. It was not a contractor, it was employee. He was a carbon guy, and his job was to refinish floors after races, and other duties. Also, he was simply talking about being a Mclaren employee, yet was unaware that was in itself wrong. He talked about the 'dead zone' while giving away no actual information about it. The fact he had knowledge of the F-Duct was secondary to his getting his walking papers. He has since moved to another team.

[beelsebob]

What I'd question about ringo's design is whether it's worth loosing the turning vein – that causes a lot more air to end up attached to the side of the side pod, and hence driven to the rear wing... I guess you can still have a little turning vein in the under cut, but it's not going to keep a lot of flow attached round the side... I do always wonder though... why do teams not simply turn the traditional triangular side pods up side down – screw air flow under the bottom there, drive it around the top, and provide a completely clear path, something like this:


Apologies for the rather crappy drawing, but you should get the idea of what's going on.

Surely this would lower the CoG substantially, and provide really good air flow around the outside, or am I missing something?