Renault R29

[sebbe]

Well, my friend has just confirmed me it's gossip he picked up in the tv. So, if any of you guys have heard anything about it, I think it was just bollocks...
Just wanted to know if you knew something about it.
Thanks

[jddh1]

If the R29 is as bad as some claim (although in winter testing I'll take everything with extra salt), will this be the last year for Alonso anywhere but in a Ferrari? Is this the last year of Kimi's F1 career? He got 13th place right off the bat in rallying this past weekend. With some testing/practice, I think he'd be good enough to race in the WRC series.

[john Stiner]

Even if the R29 was quick you just can't get over the shape of that nose! They say fast cars will always look good...

[Roger the knife]

quote]They say fast cars will always look good...[/quote]

maybe, but I think it's more from a team perspective it's more likely that "winning cars always look good" no matter how ugly they are to Joe Racefan

[Metar]

People should finally stop repeating silly proverbs said by engineers half a century ago. "Nothing left to take away", "Beautiful will be fast", etc - they were said by engineers that designed what were, effectively, streamliners: Their sole purpose was drag-reduction, and in that case, they're right: The sleekest, prettiest shape will offer the least drag. But when it comes to downforce, we know it's not right. A raised nosecone is uglier than a low one, but more efficient. A car with overcomplicated winglets and flow-conditioners will produce more downforce, or produce it more efficiently, than a clean, uncluttered design. These sentences are no longer applicable to racing.

[jon-mullen]

If the R29 is as bad as some claim (although in winter testing I'll take everything with extra salt), will this be the last year for Alonso anywhere but in a Ferrari?

jd, what's your basis for calling the R29 bad? Lap times during testing?

It would be a pretty big disappointment if the R29 were no good, based on Renault's being able to upgrade their engine and having the best car-development driver in the business. I would've liked to see Alonso put in some fast laps but that's probably not what they're focusing on right now.

[monkeyboy1976]

Some evidence that ugly could indeed mean slow:-

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21145.html

[timbo]

Some evidence that ugly could indeed mean slow:-

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21145.html

I would not call that "evidence" automatically. In light of dramatic regulation changes and testing reduction it is quite natural that those straight-line tests would be more important.
Let's wait and see.

[Conceptual]

If the R29 is as bad as some claim (although in winter testing I'll take everything with extra salt), will this be the last year for Alonso anywhere but in a Ferrari?

jd, what's your basis for calling the R29 bad? Lap times during testing?

It would be a pretty big disappointment if the R29 were no good, based on Renault's being able to upgrade their engine and having the best car-development driver in the business. I would've liked to see Alonso put in some fast laps but that's probably not what they're focusing on right now.

Don't forget that Renault also has the luxury of having a member of the OWG on their team, so I am rather confident that he was able to see where any loopholes were, and pass them along to the design team.

[jddh1]

If the R29 is as bad as some claim (although in winter testing I'll take everything with extra salt), will this be the last year for Alonso anywhere but in a Ferrari?

jd, what's your basis for calling the R29 bad? Lap times during testing?

It would be a pretty big disappointment if the R29 were no good, based on Renault's being able to upgrade their engine and having the best car-development driver in the business. I would've liked to see Alonso put in some fast laps but that's probably not what they're focusing on right now.

Well, my statement did start with a big "IF" and includes the word "claim", which shows that I am not sure if said "claims" are indeed facts or not. Therefore don't ask me about basis for calling the R29 bad. (As far as we know, all cars are bad at this point and the fastest one is the yet-to-be launched STR.) These are mere speculations, but as we know, sometimes, speculations turn out to be true. Needless to say, we will all find out soon enough.

[vasia]

Definitely the most ungainly and awkward looking of the 2009 cars so far. That nose definitely does not provide optimum airflow or aerodynamics, even if it provides advantages in ballast or downforce. The sidepods look horrid, as if they were smashed in and flattened at the rear sections. The sidepods may function very well in terms of cooling and airflow, but they don't get any points for aesthetics. Exhaust outlets are nicely integrated and seem like they will work well in terms of airflow. Rear suspension members seem to be reasonably used in terms of controlling and managing airflow. The problem I see is the same as the F60; the rear outlet in front of the rear wing. It will most likely lead to inconsistent balance and downforce. Best-case is that it will do it's job for cooling and thus aid the reliability of the car, and possibly create turbulent airflow making it harder for others to overtake. I don't see it aiding the balance or downforce of the car.

Out of all the 2009 cars, so far it seems as though the F60 and R29 are the least competitive. That has yet to be confirmed in the case of the F60, but the test times as well as the rumblings in the news suggest the R29 may have some fundamental issues affecting it's pace. The most obvious culprit would be the nose. Also to add the Renault camp has not been too positive regarding the R29's pace.

I can definitely picture a shake-up of the pecking order. The Red Bull and sister Toro Rosso machines remain to be seen, as well as the Force India and possibly the Honda car.

Development during the season will definitely be an important factor this year, even more so than last year.

[timbo]

Definitely the most ungainly and awkward looking of the 2009 cars so far.

Agreed

That nose definitely does not provide optimum airflow or aerodynamics, even if it provides advantages in ballast or downforce.

LOL It HAS to be aerodynamics, if you think about the volume of that nose they can fill it with something about a ton of tungsten. Wether it would work or not is quite another story....

The sidepods may function very well in terms of cooling and airflow, but they don't get any points for aesthetics.

Glad it won't compete at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

[quoe]Out of all the 2009 cars, so far it seems as though the F60 and R29 are the least competitive.[/quote]
Once again, whether it is true or not won't be seen before the first race. Sure we can make guesses, but only by looks?? The only thing we can really have idea of is reliability, and so far it is Toyota who obviously have problems!

[kilcoo316]

That nose definitely does not provide optimum airflow or aerodynamics

And you know that... how?


Tell me this... which car has a nose whose underside is most shaped like the suction surface of an aerofoil.

[Moanlower]

Only 1 dry trackday and already so many conclusions taken ..

I think Renault have more than enough people who knows what it takes to build a winning car. The R29 will also look quite different by the start at Melbourne. What good would it be to show off the developments they made over the winter months before the first race?

I'm quite sure RF1 did their homework in improving the essentials to compete at the top again.. from the start!

[myurr]

I wish everyone would stop saying that all the cars are going to be radically different to what we're seeing now. Due to the huge rule changes the teams would be stupid to be testing completely different concepts now to the ones they plan to race. All the cars will see tweaks, updates and evolutions, but the only cars that will be radically different come the first race will be from those teams that have got it wrong and are having to make huge changes to try and catch up.

Renault plan to race with that nose, and if it doesn't make it to the first race then it will only be because they made a mistake.