McLaren MCL36

[mclaren111]

Biggest air outlet I've seen for a long time... Hope it helps with reducing drag...

[_cerber1]

And who can say what exactly in the McLaren chassis has such a detrimental effect on drag? After all, the installation of a flatter rear wing did not change the situation.

[djos]

It’s possible the T-tray wing is a draggy solution. It’s pretty unique compared to other designs.

I’m sure the team will determine if the trade off is worth it. Unfortunately we’ll likely never know what the upside is.

[michl420]

I think Mclaren have extrem outwash over (sidepod front) and under (floor strakes) the floor. Red Bull looks pretty much the opposite (long sidepod undercut, more straight floor strakes). And a big sidepod reduce apparently the drag from read tyres.

[Mansell89]

Anything recent from James Key, Peter Prod or any other of our aero/design guys?

I’m guessing Silverstone is the next most logical option for any non-minor changes?

[diffuser]

It’s possible the T-tray wing is a draggy solution. It’s pretty unique compared to other designs.

I’m sure the team will determine if the trade off is worth it. Unfortunately we’ll likely never know what the upside is.

My guess would be that it's the rear tires. In an open wheel racing, tires are parachutes. In past years they created outwash with the front wing and brake ducts sending air through the front axle. With regs being what they are, you can't do much about the front wheels. Other teams are doing a better job of creating outwash to siphon air from the rear tires.

[Emag]

The relatively huge difference in top speed that McLaren had to the fastest car in Baku makes me think that the channel they have at the front of the tunnel entrance is probably not the main culprit behind the drag of the car.

It doesn't look like something that would create that big of a drag penalty because air would "slap" that sidepod in the front there regardless of that small channel.

Therefore, I would have to agree more on diffuser's opinion with the drag being mostly due to bad wake management. The fact they increased the length of the widest part of the sidepod with the Barcelona update hints towards this as well. They are trying to increase the area of available bodywork for airflow manipulation before the flow hits the rear tires.

[101FlyingDutchman]

When you look at the front tunnel floor strakes they don’t go back very far but immediately curve quite aggressively out. In comparison the RB strakes are far more longitudinal initially before curving out. You can’t see these things with “CFD” eyes but they look effective but draggy. Coupled that with the aero profile on top (something I’ve mentioned before wrt the sidepod behind the rad) I just think that in general the car has resolved its “low downforce” but it’s come at the cost of a relatively high increase in “form drag”.
Hopefully there is an opportunity to shed this drag at a small cost of “peak downforce”

[the EDGE]

Perhaps the rather ‘blunt’ front of the side-pods below the radiator inlets (without much undercut) is good at building a high-pressure zone here, which at low speeds, helps to feed the underfloor, but at the expense of drag at high speeds

[SmallSoldier]

The MCL36 been build for Montreal:



Via: Albert Fabrega

[Emag]

That's a fairly chonky rear wing I would say. They will probably be towards the bottom of the speed traps either way, so I guess might as well go for a setup with more downforce.

[onewingedangel]

With rain possible the higher downforce options will likely be preferable up and down the field if they don't lose too much absolute laptime in the dry.

I'd imagine teams will try a few wings in practice (if dry).

[Swed3120]

It’s pure conjecture but the fact that Mercedes, McLaren and Williams at the 3 cars with the slowest top speeds, tells me it either has to do with a high-drag set up or a Power Unit Deficit. The PU doesn’t seem tp be the answer as AMR have more top end speed.

And as for the High-Drag, the 3 teams at the bottom are also the only 3 teams with a very tight and short sidepod profile.
Mercedes has almost none and McLaren and Williams have very Small pods ( in terms on length).
Could this potentially have something to do with floor exposure and/or the rear tires.

I would be very surprised if by next year most teams don’t have a Ferrari/RB style side-pod

[Macklaren]

Tech docs say new rear wing assembly? just track specific or something radical to try and reduce drag?

[SmallSoldier]

Small change to the floor of the MCL36, the stay location on the floor has changed:



Via: Albert Fabrega