Mercedes W13

[Jolle]

My guess the intake plenum and ducting for the intake sits around there, could well be the mechanism for the intake trumpets or another ducting valve for the intake.

[kenshi_blind]

[Just_a_fan]

Maybe. Different engine cover shapes will be available to any team. They could build them straight down to the floor like this W13, it just requires lots of new panels.

Look at the exposed internals of the W13 and the F1-75. Ferrari can't just put some different panels on and mimic the Mercedes style of sidepod. They would also have to carry out a wholesale change in their radiator design and cooling philosophy. Other teams will not be as extreme a change as Ferrari, but even Red Bull will need to change radiator designs to go down a W13-style route.

Conversely, Mercedes can just bolt on some Ferrari or RedBull style sidepods with no internal changes other than maybe a few bits of CF to carry the panels. Dead easy for them to change philosophy.

As the very fact Ferrari has the least amount of centre line cooling and therefore the slimmest airbox and shaping around, is a key part of their concept. So I don’t see what benefits Mercedes would have of simply copying Ferrari’s sidepod design.

Both teams follow concepts which could not be more different from each other. For both teams it would be a pain in the … to copy each other‘s concept.

It was more to do with who could copy which sidepod design most easily, as in it's easier for Mercedes to bulk out their sidepods than it is for others to make theirs smaller.

[aterren]

#AMuS

I'm not so sure, although it would be fun it was.

I think it's an access panel to something.

Might it be a location for mounting an IR camera pointed at the rear tire?

[Just_a_fan]

#AMuS

I'm not so sure, although it would be fun it was.

I think it's an access panel to something.

Might it be a location for mounting an IR camera pointed at the rear tire?

It might be although they already have tyre temp sensors in the floor. The panel shown is definitely carbon weave currently.

[Marty_Y]

I'm not so sure, although it would be fun it was.

I think it's an access panel to something.

Might it be a location for mounting an IR camera pointed at the rear tire?

It might be although they already have tyre temp sensors in the floor. The panel shown is definitely carbon weave currently.

[Stu]

For me the most impressive thing about the new W13 side-pods is the amount of ‘stuff’ that is normally packaged between duct and bodywork has been moved ‘somewhere’ else on the car (this ‘stuff’ tends to be essential for car operation - otherwise it would not be there).
From watching some of the footage, I think that the FIA/FOM will probably tackle teams that have skid plates mounted to outer edges of tunnel entrance & exit, as the rules specifically ban any device that allows sprung parts of the car to run in contact with the track; having the skid blocks in these four locations allows this to be done without damage. I expect something along the lines of “skid blocks are to be mounted within the central plank area between ‘X=??? +/- ???mm and Y= +/- 150mm’.
If they let it go I would be amazed!!

[SiLo]

For me the most impressive thing about the new W13 side-pods is the amount of ‘stuff’ that is normally packaged between duct and bodywork has been moved ‘somewhere’ else on the car (this ‘stuff’ tends to be essential for car operation - otherwise it would not be there).
From watching some of the footage, I think that the FIA/FOM will probably tackle teams that have skid plates mounted to outer edges of tunnel entrance & exit, as the rules specifically ban any device that allows sprung parts of the car to run in contact with the track; having the skid blocks in these four locations allows this to be done without damage. I expect something along the lines of “skid blocks are to be mounted within the central plank area between ‘X=??? +/- ???mm and Y= +/- 150mm’.
If they let it go I would be amazed!!

I assume its just for testing so they can find the limits of where they can run the setup.

[AeroDynamic]

motorsport.com

[zubster]

The car is looking a lot more settled today. Also ride height is higher.

[AeroDynamic]

Nice view of the car from a more above angle without Aero rakes on.

"And we were using a bigger inlet than that [on the W13] to get the cooling. I think on the Mercedes, they have a few little tricks in there that help them in this respect.

"So for example the intercooler, is a very, very neat device, it's a water/air intercooler, which of course Mercedes have had for a little while, but I think this is a little bit different.

"And that's why they can really shrink wrap this car a little bit more than most of the others can."

Expanding on what Mercedes had done, he added: "The intercooler that I was talking about, I think, comes from Reaction Engines in Oxfordshire, the people who are doing this sort of air breathing rocket motor, and the sort of spin-off from that has been this really extremely efficient heat exchanger technology.

"And I think that's part of the reason why they've been able to produce the car the way they have."

Pat Symonds

Source

In reference to the interview above, I recommend watching it if you missed it live on TV. Look for it.



#AMuS

[Just_a_fan]

Expanding on what Mercedes had done, he added: "The intercooler that I was talking about, I think, comes from Reaction Engines in Oxfordshire, the people who are doing this sort of air breathing rocket motor, and the sort of spin-off from that has been this really extremely efficient heat exchanger technology.

"And I think that's part of the reason why they've been able to produce the car the way they have."

Pat Symonds

Hmmm, I would think that sort of thing is commercially sensitive information that Mercedes and Reaction Engines might not like broadcast. If FOM have privileged access to such information, they probably shouldn't be throwing it out in interviews.

Aside from that, if it's true that they're using that sort of technology then that's pretty damn cool! (excuse the pun)

[AeroDynamic]

Expanding on what Mercedes had done, he added: "The intercooler that I was talking about, I think, comes from Reaction Engines in Oxfordshire, the people who are doing this sort of air breathing rocket motor, and the sort of spin-off from that has been this really extremely efficient heat exchanger technology.

"And I think that's part of the reason why they've been able to produce the car the way they have."

Pat Symonds

Hmmm, I would think that sort of thing is commercially sensitive information that Mercedes and Reaction Engines might not like broadcast. If FOM have privileged access to such information, they probably shouldn't be throwing it out in interviews.

Aside from that, if it's true that they're using that sort of technology then that's pretty damn cool! (excuse the pun)

Yeah same here. Bit of an eyebrow raising moment.

FlowViz on the sidepod entry and front floor area.

[mzso]

The W13 makes me wonder again: Why are F1 designers content on cooling being huge holes, with big bricks of radiators inside of them?
And looking at pictures like the one above, I wonder if they could integrate a lot (or all) of the cooling in the tunnel strakes. And if not enough add some dedicated cooling fins on the top which could also have a positive aero effect instead of just being drag inducers.

[Just_a_fan]

FlowViz on the sidepod entry and front floor area.

https://imgr1.auto-motor-und-sport.de/G ... 880127.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FNjykZJXIAM ... name=large

Appears that the flow is going outboard so the design does what they all want to achieve. Be nice to see further back and see if any of the paint appears around the rear end.