Racing Point RP20

[Owen.C93]

It was announced in April last year that RP would start using the Mercedes wind tunnel for 2020 car development. That explains why the car is so close to the W10, having likely the same low rake philosophy and also their trick suspension front and back. The low rake philosophy may aid in the 2021 concept seeing that the regulations call for more of a design that would seem to encourage venturi effects "sealing" the floor to the ground.

Article below quotes Green using the MB wind tunnel since May.
https://f1i.com/news/368132-racing-poin ... clone.html

I don't understand the relationship between Racing Point using the same wind-tunnel as Mercedes and the RP20 looking like a clone of the W10?

Picking up old scale model parts from the recycling bin

But one advantage is they know Mercedes had good correlation with that design in the wind tunnel which is another plus that many teams seem to struggle with every year.

The carry over suspension and limited resources would have been a much bigger factor of course.

[OO7]

Picking up old scale model parts from the recycling bin

But one advantage is they know Mercedes had good correlation with that design in the wind tunnel which is another plus that many teams seem to struggle with every year.

The carry over suspension and limited resources would have been a much bigger factor of course.

You make a very good point about correlation though Owen.

[ispano6]

It was announced in April last year that RP would start using the Mercedes wind tunnel for 2020 car development. That explains why the car is so close to the W10, having likely the same low rake philosophy and also their trick suspension front and back. The low rake philosophy may aid in the 2021 concept seeing that the regulations call for more of a design that would seem to encourage venturi effects "sealing" the floor to the ground.

Article below quotes Green using the MB wind tunnel since May.
https://f1i.com/news/368132-racing-poin ... clone.html

I don't understand the relationship between Racing Point using the same wind-tunnel as Mercedes and the RP20 looking like a clone of the W10?

Imagine RP using their own or separate wind tunnel with correlation issues. Your data may skew from reality. Using the same wind tunnel allows you to more accurately model your assumptions based on what has already been developed, tested, and proven on track. The question is how quickly RP personal were able to generate 3d models of the W10 as it was being developed throughout the year and how much access they had to 2020 customer parts early on. The efficacy of the W10 and RP20s aero is linked to the wind tunnel set up in which it was modeled.

[bosyber]

Translated (manually by me - neither is my main language, though I live in DE, ) quote from AMuS on Racing Points new car

Because this time [the team] took [not just parts, but] the whole concept, the engineers had to reduce the risk on the[eir] construction site as much as possible. Therefore they kept as close to the original as possible. That similarity will dissapear step by step. In development Racing Point has to go their own routes. Then there are no draft models left. The Mercedes W10 is in a museum.

The article makes the point quite well that RP has been adapting and improving existing concepts from others with a lot of success (like their cobra nose, which came after Sauber's concept the year before), and that this is just a more elaborate case of this, due to being at a dead end high-rake wise given the Merc. gearbox/suspension pickup points, and now having the money and staff to change things up - but in the last year of these regulations, and now using Merc' windtunnel, going all in with that then simply being the least risky way to go (before updating from their own ideas/understanding).

Does read like it's the teams story, with the magazine/writer seemingly not finding it too farfetched, but as said, it is a compelling and hopeful narative. And we'll soon know how true it is by they way the car develops, I suppose.

[Restomaniac]

the cars arent exactly the same. they look very close but they arent.

the RP car is a copy yes but not an exact copy.

enough technology is out there to copy the mercedes car when its in the pitlane or on display somewhere or even in parc ferme.
3 scanners exist that can copy the car to a milimeter in about 3 minutes. Its not dificult really.
what i think happened is that merceses let their W10 be scanned by racing point.
this may have happened during post seasen testing.

I would suggest that there needed to be slight changes to keep it JUST different enough to stop the FIA having to step in.

[Zynerji]

Any bets on an Australia protest?

Especially if they qualify top 10...

[PlatinumZealot]

Andy Green is very coy how the parts originated. The nose for one does not look like anbexact copy but a slightly slimmer part. There are other dead carbon copies like the brake ducts (allowed as customer parts?), front wing and bargeboards. Obviously purchased from Mercedes but Mr. Green wont confirm nor deny.

[DeathPig]

I believe they're safe as long as the parts are allowed to be purchased. People might see it as being un-sportsmanlike, but hey, you do what you gotta to win and if it's within the rules, it's within the rules.

[ajprice]

It was announced in April last year that RP would start using the Mercedes wind tunnel for 2020 car development. That explains why the car is so close to the W10, having likely the same low rake philosophy and also their trick suspension front and back. The low rake philosophy may aid in the 2021 concept seeing that the regulations call for more of a design that would seem to encourage venturi effects "sealing" the floor to the ground.

Article below quotes Green using the MB wind tunnel since May.
https://f1i.com/news/368132-racing-poin ... clone.html

I don't understand the relationship between Racing Point using the same wind-tunnel as Mercedes and the RP20 looking like a clone of the W10?

Picking up old scale model parts from the recycling bin

But one advantage is they know Mercedes had good correlation with that design in the wind tunnel which is another plus that many teams seem to struggle with every year.

The carry over suspension and limited resources would have been a much bigger factor of course.

Toto: "Lance, I have a present for you. Here's a very accurate scale model of a W10, from us to you. As a completely unrelated gift, here's a handheld 3D scanner."

[PlatinumZealot]

Perhaps they extracted the 3D model from codemasters F1 2019.

[Racer X]

Is Force India really going to have an update for Melbourne?
I wonder if its an Update Mercedes didnt finish in time for Abu Dabi and so they just went ahead and passed that along too......

[dtro]

Is Force India really going to have an update for Melbourne?
I wonder if its an Update Mercedes didnt finish in time for Abu Dabi and so they just went ahead and passed that along too......

James Allison did imply the W10 had room for development in a recent video comparing the W11 to the W10
Wouldn't be shocked if RP saw the same room... the one they do the design work in Brackley

[wesley123]

Is Force India really going to have an update for Melbourne?
I wonder if its an Update Mercedes didnt finish in time for Abu Dabi and so they just went ahead and passed that along too......

I wonder if Racing Point is really able to make the mechanical parts work. Mercedes put in a lot of effort to create a really tight rear end, far beyond the capabilities of what a Racing Point could do themselves.

They'll probably find a lot of time in the season making the whole package work

[rccrdc]

Technical director said one of the reason why they followed this way is because they are constrained by the Mercedes gearbox which is designed for low rake.

[Xavi_F1]

Is Force India really going to have an update for Melbourne?
I wonder if its an Update Mercedes didnt finish in time for Abu Dabi and so they just went ahead and passed that along too......

I wonder if Racing Point is really able to make the mechanical parts work. Mercedes put in a lot of effort to create a really tight rear end, far beyond the capabilities of what a Racing Point could do themselves.

They'll probably find a lot of time in the season making the whole package work

I think this is the first time that Racing Point (previously FI) have ever used Brembo brakes.

I think they've switched to Brembo this year as it is what Mercedes uses and it'll be better for their collaboration.

Can anyone confirm this?