When do the teams start to look to 2015?

[longblackcoat]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 22 February 2017 at 15:41

[davepoth]

The only question really is whether Mercedes will be happy with the WDC and WCC, or whether they want to go for the 100% win record for the season.

[Teppic]

Lookng at their performances I'd say that McLaren stopped developing this years car after Australia...

[FunkyNige]

How different are the regulations going to be in 2015? Obviously this year we had a big change in regulations with the new power units, no blown diffusers, etc., but after a quick Google I can't find any mention of what's going to change (apart from making the noses less ugly). I guess if the regulations aren't going to change that much then we'll see this year's cars being developed right up until the end of the season and next year's cars being an evolution of the end of season cars.

[Justaredbadge]

I'd be very surprised if McLaren hadn't made a car to send to Japan and it hadn't been tested at Motegi or similar already.

If they can get some innovative packaging on the engine and ancillaries they could well put 100% of their efforts in to next year's car.

In fact, if they haven't done this, they really are up st Creek.

[belleair302]

Most teams will start developing chassis and suspension ideas come early August and by late September CFD and aero teams are working in the wind tunnel with models of wings etc. Gearbox and wiring will follow with the first full sized cars being made ready during Christmas. Lots of long hours in December and January at HQ's around the UK and elsewhere.

[belleair302]

They volume of data gathered this season always gives engineers and designers room to improve things....from better access to parts through to minute changes to help cooling, aero improvements and driver comfort. F1 is all about constant improvement and with fuel companies spending millions on R & D along with turbo power improving I expect the cars to change next year and speeds to increase somewhat.

[RealSquirrels]

Teppic said:

Lookng at their performances I'd say that McLaren stopped developing this years car after Australia...

last year?

[entropy]

belleair302 said:

They volume of data gathered this season always gives engineers and designers room to improve things....from better access to parts through to minute changes to help cooling, aero improvements and driver comfort. F1 is all about constant improvement and with fuel companies spending millions on R & D along with turbo power improving I expect the cars to change next year and speeds to increase somewhat.

Ideas will be on the drawing board by now and then working out how to compromise resources.

[CraigyMc]

longblackcoat said:

When do the teams start to look to 2015?

If you're McLaren bringing Honda back into F1, then probably around March 2013, when you agreed the deal to do so.

[P-Jay]

I believe the reg changes '14 to '15 are pretty much nil so if they've got any sense the car they wheel out in 2015 will be an evolved version of the one that finished in 2014 - well except for McL of course, however they finish in 2014 they'll do a blank page redesign because they're nuts (well and they're switching engines). Anyway, they're working on 2015 and 2016 already.

[CraigyMc]

P-Jay said:

I believe the reg changes '14 to '15 are pretty much nil so if they've got any sense the car they wheel out in 2015 will be an evolved version of the one that finished in 2014 - well except for McL of course, however they finish in 2014 they'll do a blank page redesign because they're nuts (well and they're switching engines). Anyway, they're working on 2015 and 2016 already.

The mounting points and physical location of the batteries and engine are set in the regulations - all the engine manufacturers are interchangeable on this point (in fact, that's why the regs were written like that)

[P-Jay]

CraigyMc said:

P-Jay said:

I believe the reg changes '14 to '15 are pretty much nil so if they've got any sense the car they wheel out in 2015 will be an evolved version of the one that finished in 2014 - well except for McL of course, however they finish in 2014 they'll do a blank page redesign because they're nuts (well and they're switching engines). Anyway, they're working on 2015 and 2016 already.

The mounting points and physical location of the batteries and engine are set in the regulations - all the engine manufacturers are interchangeable on this point (in fact, that's why the regs were written like that)

I guessed as much, but I suspect it'll have different requirements to the Merc in terms of cooling etc - especially if it's not spit the turbo in two like Mercedes did so will need intakes moved on the body etc.

[CraigyMc]

P-Jay said:

CraigyMc said:

P-Jay said:

I believe the reg changes '14 to '15 are pretty much nil so if they've got any sense the car they wheel out in 2015 will be an evolved version of the one that finished in 2014 - well except for McL of course, however they finish in 2014 they'll do a blank page redesign because they're nuts (well and they're switching engines). Anyway, they're working on 2015 and 2016 already.

The mounting points and physical location of the batteries and engine are set in the regulations - all the engine manufacturers are interchangeable on this point (in fact, that's why the regs were written like that)

I guessed as much, but I suspect it'll have different requirements to the Merc in terms of cooling etc - especially if it's not spit the turbo in two like Mercedes did so will need intakes moved on the body etc.

You're not wrong on McLaren likely going for a totally different concept again rather than trying to evolve.
It's a shame, some of their recent cars have been awesome and subsequently dropped for a pig of a car the following year (eg. 2012's MP4-27 was a good car, the quickest by year end - followed by the MP4-28 which didn't work very well). I'm not sure McLaren do iterative design like some of the others (cf. Red Bull).