Ignore the noses...

Ignore the noses...

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Discussion

NRS

Original Poster:

22,795 posts

207 months

Tuesday 28th January 2014
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So, it's probably a bit early yet, but has anyone noticed any interesting innovations on the cars this year that might seperate them? Any interesting rumours? Looks like Ferrari could have been right about the most reliable car winning this season judging from the testing today! Looking forward to seeing how things work out over the season, biggrin

Munter

31,323 posts

247 months

Tuesday 28th January 2014
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Well merc have proved they need the front wing.

dr_gn

16,368 posts

190 months

Tuesday 28th January 2014
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Caterham or Maurussia should just disconnect all the electrical ERS KERS crap (whatever they call it these days) and bag a few points just by finishing with a slow but simple car.

Some Gump

12,833 posts

192 months

Tuesday 28th January 2014
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I think the cooling treatments are the obvious "everyone's done different." We have single exit (rb), twin exit (macca high p, ferrari down low), just a big opening (torro rosso). We also have single / twin / piggybacked / periscope intakes in the airbox region, and different sizes of sidepods throughout the grid. Ferrari for one look like they're pushing the envelope hard on cooling.

Meanwhile, i can't help but think that merc and ferrari with their low noses are doing something different. From what i can gather, these low wide noses give the most front downforce, because the underside causes a venturi to work with the front wing. The downside of this is dirty flow / less flow to the diffuser / floor, costing rear downforce.
I beleive f1 is normally rear grip limited - with more grunt and harder tyres you'd guess that noting would change. Daft question - could better front aero give better braking performance and a chance for overtaking at end of straight? Wll the other cars have better mid corner traction? Obviously pure speculation, but very interesting to see what the outocome is.

I also think red bull are hiding something. That rear ring looks well budget, no slots / not finished paint - has mr newey got a spare part hidden for a week or 2?

And finally - on the noses. If the interweb is right, one side of the merc nose carries the mandatory crash structure tip - but where was it after lewis hit the wall? Is it designed to be sacrificed and come off, or will someone protest this?

zac510

5,546 posts

212 months

Tuesday 28th January 2014
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It doesn't seem right that they're chasing more front downforce. With no beam wing and blown diffuser (both outlawed) they should in theory have lost downforce on the rear so to chase it on the front would affect balance.

DanielSan

19,093 posts

173 months

Wednesday 29th January 2014
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If the Merc's still a car that's hard on its rear tyres though then surely trying to to get more downforce on the front should at least be helping to try and counteract that though?

I don't know to be honest this is just a thought that popped into my head

rdjohn

6,329 posts

201 months

Wednesday 29th January 2014
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dr_gn said:
Caterham or Maurussia should just disconnect all the electrical ERS KERS crap (whatever they call it these days) and bag a few points just by finishing with a slow but simple car.
They will run out of fuel if they do not use the ERS KERS crap

ajprice

28,915 posts

202 months

Wednesday 29th January 2014
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NRS said:
So, it's probably a bit early yet, but has anyone noticed any interesting innovations on the cars this year that might seperate them?
The McLaren is out this morning, rear suspension wishbones as beam wings.



Edited by ajprice on Wednesday 29th January 09:13

Some Gump

12,833 posts

192 months

Wednesday 29th January 2014
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So ThAt is what the massive cooling exit concept is all about.

I love f1, such clever innovation throughout the grid.