MP4-19 sidepods

[Steven]

looking at the Renault and Williams, I find those sidepods really big in the front, don't know why they did not optimise that a little more.. afterall they have 3 months to test and look at the competition

could be one of the weakest points in their new car I think

[Irvingthien]

Renault's sidepod is definitely large at first, then it shrunk smaller towards the rear end..my question is, how could they make such a low rear end to accomodate a 72 degrees engine.
I don't think Williams sidepod is big in the front, The front end of their side pods are lower than renaults and remain the same height at the rear end.

[SpeedTech]

my question is, how could they make such a low rear end to accomodate a 72 degrees engine.

Could be due to the airbox having been made larger up top.

[elf]

You will find that the R25 and the MP4-19 (and the FW26) have the smallest sidepod frontal areas of the new 2004 cars. The R5s' and TF104's frontal areas are remarkably larger. It's hard to compare from photographs, so you may have to go to the testing sessions with a tape measure, or buy decent scale models when they are released .

[Steven]

correct! on pictures we should be able to see, the front wheels are always in the way
Don't know really, I wish to add Williams' sidepods do slope down towards the end, a little more than last year. I also think the Renault sidepod has quite a frontal area, but it is shaped well, to guide air nicely around it.

When looking from the side, the McLaren sidepods look very high still, but they might be small, I can't really compare that to other cars because of the above mentioned wheel thing

[scarbs]

The perimeter of the cockpit opening is at a regulated height, so the height of the sidepods can be gauged in respect to it. Renault, Toyo, Jag and Ferrari have gone for the high and sweeping approach. Its all to do with the internal volume; for the radiators themselves, the ducted flow into and out of the radiators. Also the side impact structures are implicated in the design.
I was told the high\sweeping solution actually creates some DF on the front edges, while the lower pressure created along the cokebottle shape limits flow spilling under the floor. Also think of the sidepod as an external flow shaping device, it manages the flow from the inside of the bargeboards and under the nose then routes to the rear. particularly to the rear wing and around the wheels. With Williams and to a lesser extent McLarens sidepods, simply being a low profile design does not imply better aero, rather a different approach or packaging.