McLaren MP4-28 Mercedes

[trinidefender]

http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/image ... 494584.jpg

It's a pretty thing. I wonder what's the point of running the old front wing with the new aero? Seems like it would just produce garbage data.

Maybe because they want to compare both wings with the new changes.
Old wing + new changes vs new wing + new changes.
It's quite likely the front wings wont behave differently, or cause different downstream behavior.
Front wing influence is highly over exagerated in the forums.
Note also the wing still has the same number of elements, Just that more air is pass between the wheels on the new wing, and based on the "elliptical shape", it will be more efficient under different orientations. New wing may make subtle changes for the handling i guess.

Over exaggerated? I would think otherwise. The front wing is what conditions all airflow for the rest of the car. Even the underbody flow so how can it not be one of the most important aero devices

[Pup]

To answer my own question, I'm going to guess that they needed to do back to backs on front downforce, slip, etc.

[McG]

FW endplate old/new

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BJ41oMHCYAAvtMQ.jpg:large
via Matt Somerfield

did they struggle to finish the fw's in time? different colour

Honda Championship White

[Huntresa]

Did they even test the FW? I dont think i saw them ever run the white one, am i wrong?

[McG]

The sidepod openings are massive compared to any other car on the grid. Especially the Sauber! How can these be better?

Under body aerodynamics?

[Bomber_Pilot]

Did they even test the FW? I dont think i saw them ever run the white one, am i wrong?

Perez tried it in the final minutes of FP2.

[Racer X]

FW endplate old/new

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BJ41oMHCYAAvtMQ.jpg:large
via Matt Somerfield

did they struggle to finish the fw's in time? different colour

Honda Championship White

I was thinking the same. Maybe McLaren will go white/red it wouldn't look bad at all.

[Pup]

It's always possible that they don't intend to run the new wing this weekend and it's part of a future update. It's not all that different after all, just a bit simpler and trimmed down in the center section.

[turbof1]

They did run with the new FW + other updates

It's always possible that they don't intend to run the new wing this weekend and it's part of a future update. It's not all that different after all, just a bit simpler and trimmed down in the center section.

I disagree. It's a total different FW philosophy then their previous one, way more the mainstream philosophy: delta shaped wings, wingtip vortex creators, mini cascade attached to the normal cascade,... . Infact the only thing missing here is the wing divided into more elements. Definitely not simpler; actually more complex. The only thing pretty much simplified here are the endplates.

(Oh and they apperently found time to paint it)

[Pup]

I think that's the entire new one, endplates and all...

[Holm86]

Were they only doing aero testing today? Because the times are still as bad as they used to be.

[gary123]

take a look at the rear wing end plates

[turbof1]

Looks like they went extreme again with the gills in the endplate; that became a little bit the go-to solution for mclaren throughout the last couple of years when things go bad.

I think that's the entire new one, endplates and all...

Not sure what you mean with that. I thought there are only 2 FWs they brought: the old one and the complete new one?

[Pup]

It's a total different FW philosophy then their previous one, way more the mainstream philosophy: delta shaped wings, wingtip vortex creators, mini cascade attached to the normal cascade,... . Infact the only thing missing here is the wing divided into more elements. Definitely not simpler; actually more complex. The only thing pretty much simplified here are the endplates.

All that goes against what I can plainly see with my eyes. You may wish it to be true, but it ain't. Perez shrugged off the new wing, by the way - said he can't tell a difference. So that, and the fact that they did most of their testing without it should make it clear that it isn't a major change in philosophy.

[Pup]

http://img3.auto-motor-und-sport.de/Jen ... 682121.jpg
take a look at the rear wing end plates

I don't remember seeing those strakes on the outside of the endplate before. Are they new?

You can also see the reprofiling of the floor around the wheels in that shot.