Mercedes AMG F1 W03 (pre-launch speculation)

[dren]

I thought the main asset of having an f-duct was the drag benefit in stalled condition.

Scarbs thought it might be to allow a lower initial ride height. Similar to the benefit of the anti-dive system.

[Raptor22]

yeah but that theory basically means the suspension becomes unloaded which affects mechanical grip severely.

Aerodynamic instability (possibly) couple to unloaded suspension and I'm starting to get shivers down my spine...

[ForMuLaOne]

Not that i take it personal that nobody did reply on that one, but the fact that nobody didn`t and people are STILL talking about a device that stalls the wing leads me to a simple repost Don`t remember the date or time...but it would be nice if some of you could answer me that question [-o<

What do you think? Is this "F-Duct" supposed to deliver drag reduction while having an attached airflow, or drag reduction caused by stalling the wing. I mean, do they want to avoid boundary layers or do they want the airflow to deattach. To me it is all about increasing downforce at the same drag level!


It could follow this principle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blown_flap

Nice data on aircrafts

"In general, blown flaps can improve the lift of a wing by two to three times. Whereas a complex triple-slotted flap system on a Boeing 747 delivers a coefficient of lift of about 2.8, external blowing improves this to about 7, and internal blowing to 9"


And another question i asked before( Maybe Scarbs will read this as well ) Is it possible to have a perforated bodywork,like really tiny holes (0,1 mm)? Cause you could use the suction at the back of the car to suck off boundary layers as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_layer_suction

[dan]

damn 58 pages already no shortage of mercedes fans!

[Owen.C93]

damn 58 pages already no shortage of mercedes fans!

Yeah it's a weird one this thread, never anything too interesting on the Merc and they aren't really a popular team yet there's never any shortage of discussion in this thread.

[MIKEY_!]

ForMuLaOne: Scarbs had an artical on the front wing F-duct a while back. Check there.

[Schurcedes]

One thing I'm particularly concerned about is the rate of tyre wear with the 03. The 2012 compounds are set to be softer than before, and Mercedes seemed to struggle with managing rear tyre degradation last season. Is the changed profile of the 2012 Pirellis likely to affect the driving characteristics of the car adversely? (taking into account past history, ex. Mercedes\Brawn struggled with getting heat into the tyres with the Bridgestones while last year it was a case of excessive wear on full tanks)

[ringo]

i think they will be softer but more durable.

[MIKEY_!]

I heard more durable as well.

[Cocles]

@Owen.C93 Mercedes-AMG is a perfect storm when it comes to speculation fodder. Does the car have room for improvement? Is the team capable of pulling it off? Speculate! ...And this is all under a famous Marquee that dominated in Grand Prix and Formula1 in the 30's, 50's and before? Yes, please. I think you're underestimating the popularity of this team. There are a lot of MBz fanboys out there in general, and up until 2010 the story they faced in F1 was, "Yeah, MBz dominated until 1955 when they went into self imposed exile after being incorrectly blamed for the worst accident in motor-racing history." To them, MBz purchasing Brawn was a dream come true. In other words, there are a lot of MBz fans out there that have been looking for a team.

@Schurcedes The W03 will have a much lower center of gravity, which if anything, will help with tire degradation.

[xpensive]

damn 58 pages already no shortage of mercedes fans!

Yeah it's a weird one this thread, never anything too interesting on the Merc and they aren't really a popular team yet there's never any shortage of discussion in this thread.

I think the xplanation is that MGP/AMG is a rather controversial team with controversial car, management and driver.
High profile with high hopes and xpectations, this year with an almost bizarre technical structure unseen before.

Even if breaking their noses for a third consecutive year would amuse me no end, I wouldn't lose them for the world.

[wunderkind]

damn 58 pages already no shortage of mercedes fans!

Yeah it's a weird one this thread, never anything too interesting on the Merc and they aren't really a popular team yet there's never any shortage of discussion in this thread.

I think the xplanation is that MGP/AMG is a rather controversial team with controversial car, management and driver.
High profile with high hopes and xpectations, this year with an almost bizarre technical structure unseen before.

Even if breaking their noses for a third consecutive year would amuse me no end, I wouldn't lose them for the world.

X, I still don't understand why you think the technical structure at Mercedes-AMG is so bizarre. It's just a case of having a number of managers and engineers with championship-winning experience. As Brawn said, they have been given clearly defined roles. They should work well together.

It's a little like Chelsea at the beginning of the Abramovich days signing up big name players. But I sincerely hope Mercedes-AMG will have more success than Chelsea.

Someone mentioned the RRH system first made its appearance on motorbikes some 30 years ago, it would be right as Rob Tuluie (the current Head of R&D at Mercedes-AMG and ex-Renault) is a motorbike fanatic.

[Raptor22]

I see no issues with the technical structure at Mercedes. its not that different from other F1 teams with the excepton that much of their appointment are experience and the media is focused on Mercedes.
As I mentioned in another thread, the personalities of the people involved is more iportant than the organisational structure. The individuals are mature, and very capable.
They know what their roles are and they are comfortable in them which allows them to focus on WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

When did Willis and Costa become available x?

It's not as if Mercedes were waiting for these guys before penning the W03.
More so than any team, it is logical for Mercedes to have them give this car the once over before it is track tested.
Scratch logical, it is their DUTY.

The more time they have, the more potential can be unlocked.

As for structures, didn't Ferrari's spaghetti junction management structure become the most successful ever?

[xpensive]

A couple of days ago, you declared that the delay was due to the funny front wing, since yesterday that is not even on the agenda it seems? What is going on here and where's the focus, did they really delay the car due to a gizmo like that?

With contradicting news like that JET, you have to understand that people might interpret the situation the way I do?