Mercedes GP MGP W01

[horse]

Mercedes is using six-paddled steering wheel - wonder for what they might use the 5th and 6th paddles.....!

One paddle is the clutch, maybe?

[toshinden]

One paddle is the clutch, maybe?

on the 4 paddles steering wheel, AFAIK the upper paddles are for the clucth and lower paddles are for gear shifting.

[horse]

on the 4 paddles steering wheel, AFAIK the upper paddles are for the clucth and lower paddles are for gear shifting.

I thought that they use 4 paddles for shifting now. 2 to actually shift and the other two to prime the gearbox for either going up or down.

EDIT: That might be a little fantasy in my head. This is the McLaren extra paddle wheel from 2008:

http://www.f1technical.net/development/187

Like this:

[Raptor22]

is one not the Handbrake/gearbox priming?
the other for the Pitlane limiter / gearbox re-activation
and one pair for the shifting

[toshinden]

I thought that they use 4 paddles for shifting now. 2 to actually shift and the other two to prime the gearbox for either going up or down.

EDIT: That might be a little fantasy in my head. This is the McLaren extra paddle wheel from 2008:

http://www.f1technical.net/development/187

Like this:

i remember this steering wheel back in 2008, if i'm not mistaken they start to use it at silverstone GP.

gosh, i'm so blind about F1 tech so no more clutch then

[A13EX_f]

1 set of paddles were for gear shift the others were for changing the torque map or something similar

[ringo]

I think if he is not English speaking then his posts might seem rude when in reality its just a rough translation.

If he is English speaking then he is a complete d!ck and needs to stop being so rude with people.

He's probably short on time and patience with people that think they know stuff but in fact know nothing...

I value his input as I know I know nothing other than the basics...

It's not that i know nothing, i would not argue something I don't know. I assumed that he would know more than I and would enlighten me. That is why i brushed off his attack and urged him to explain.
I don't get frightened easily because someone claims they know something, or they did this or that. It's naive to confide in something you never saw.
I am here to share and gain knowledge, not to fawn over people who claim they do this or that.
Sometimes it's the very basics that you know, that you should put value to.
If you feel good believing someone because they say you should, that is very dangerous.

I will leave it at that, this is dragging on for too long and would be more fitting for the aerodynamic section.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Ringo I fully agree with what you are saying. Your CFD images have enlightened whereas your detractor had nothing to shed light on.
Why would someone be so critical, proclaim themselves "important within the industry", then fail to give anything for us mere mortals to learn from?
The real reason is because they are talking out of a smelly orifice.

And the aero should stay on this thread as it Mercedes gp WO1 related.

Back to the topic!
Mercedes appear to be some way behind the leading trio of McLaren Ferrari and Red Bull. The informed suggest the last 3 tests (Valencia and 2X Jerez) are mechanical and grip/tyre related with no one bringing aero mods. This would appear to be true as the status quo appears unchanged in all 3 tests.

Barcelona however appears to have more in store. As all the rumblings from drivers and teams suggest the first updates are due for then.
I also just dont think Mercedes will be using last year diffuser or front wing. How can they, knowing full well teams would be advancing their own interpretations?

No, there is "somthing" special on the way I feel. This could all be fanboy talk, However my thoughts are based on this:
Mercedes launch their car and 3 hours later Luca Di Montezemelo is talking of using lawyers in a new diffuser battle. Why?
The MGP WO1 has the tightest rear end and the scope for the largest diffuser in paddock allied to Ross Brawns cagey remarks on this not being the final evolution of the WO1. If you put 2 and 2 together you get 4, perhaps i'm getting 8.
Barcelon or Bahrain will either be the lifting of the veil, or the curtain call on Mercedes 2010 season.

[MichaelW]

A source close to the Mercedes GP team told me that their Barcelona update is worth 6 tenth/lap in the wind tunnel and they expect to fight for the win already from Bahrain on.

[Ganxxta]

Sounds good, could be true if they bring a new frontwing + diffusor...
I can imagine that the car wasn't the best with the 09 spec parts

They have a lot of space at the back of the car, so i hope they will fill the space with a huge dif.

[Francesc]

A source close to the Mercedes GP team told me that their Barcelona update is worth 6 tenth/lap in the wind tunnel and they expect to fight for the win already from Bahrain on.

6 tenths over the current car or 6 tenths over the rest including their updates, because other teams will have big upgrades too

[siskue2005]

A source close to the Mercedes GP team told me that their Barcelona update is worth 6 tenth/lap in the wind tunnel and they expect to fight for the win already from Bahrain on.

6 tenths ? are they putting Alonso in the car

Jokes aside, i hope its true and they are faster

[Pup]

I don't think it's all that uncommon for the Barcelona packages to be worth half a second or so. Just look what happened to Macca last year when everyone had a big step but them.

[ringo]

That's a big improvement. I wasn't too critical of last year's testing so i am surprised the teams take these big steps before the first race. All i knew was which car's were slow.
I predict barge boards under the nose, i forgot to mention that earlier.
It would make under the nose more effective. Other than that new floor, wing, DDD

and of course the livery needs an update

[peeromane]

Hi guys, Iam new here! First of all great to have found this page, some awesome discussions going on although to be honest i cannot follow all of the above...
I hope I'll learn as we go!
Talking about the current tests and the car of mercedes, i reckon they know exactly what they're doing and they clearly are running down their envisaged program.With the new rules and the limited tests, they'd be focussing whats going on with the tires,setup,balance and mechnical grip during the course of the race in order to know what kind of strategies tu run in the races... Next week or at the race, we'll surely see something different at the cars... I just wonder whether those things were intentionally held back to not let the competitors see them or if they ll be developed in response to the tests...maybe both