Vodafone McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes

[hardingfv32]

If the Lotus system has nothing to do with the DRS system, then it seems odd that the Lotus system was just thought of recently. It sounds like a reasonable option to the McLaren F-duct. Every team was looking for a McLaren F-Duct option at the time. That would have been a lot of minds trying to come up with alternate solution. It was a significant design goal at the time.

Brian

[Jackles-UK]

Remember that it's only this year that such a system has been needed or useful.

Up until 2010 you could have had a fully fledged 'original style' F-Duct system and during 2011 the performance gain is likely to have been miniscule in comparison to perfecting an EBD so it made sense for teams to look at that rather than pursuing a second 'silver bullet' so to speak.

[Nando]

Martin Whitmarsh sent me a sketch on the rumored "D-DRS"
This is not gonna end well...

http://www.cadred.org/Images/Gallery/Or ... troll4.jpg

[MikeFromCanada]

I'm not so sure a DDRS will be on the car so soon if at all. I'm not entirely sure they'd need it.

McLaren haven't ever really been found wanting in terms of top level speed (Canada a few years back they brought the wrong 7th gear but thats about all) and in recent years have gone a slightly different way in their setups at low downforce tracks, running slightly higher downforce than the rest of the track and relying on the extra power the Merc engine appears to offer over the Renault/Ferrari units that power their rivals. Jenson putting it on the front row around Monza with what looked like a parachute of a rear wing in 2010 for example.

Not that it wouldn't give them any benefit at all, but surely it would be better to focus on improving areas of weakness rather than improving on areas they are already fairly strong in comparison?

To be fair, the superior drag reduction of the F-Duct system on the McLaren did more to allow for this rather than the Mercedes engine.

[Jackles-UK]

While the McLaren clearly had the best F-Duct system, by the time they got to Monza (Race 14) pretty much every top team had their own iteration it installed. The difference can't have been that enormous between the different systems by that time in the season surely?

Back to the -27: Does anybody know if there was any modification in the 'big' updates over the last few weeks to the floor? I thought today that with their original floor being deemed illegal (sort of!) in China they might have re-engineered it to try to obtain the same effect with the new rules.

[SiLo]

What's to stop them simply connecting a thin tube from the edges of the rear wing to the beam wing and stalling the beam wing at the same time as the rear wing? Might make it more unstable, but would increase top speed a bit more yes?

[fynrd1]

What's to stop them simply connecting a thin tube from the edges of the rear wing to the beam wing and stalling the beam wing at the same time as the rear wing? Might make it more unstable, but would increase top speed a bit more yes?

I think you'll lose diffuser efficiency in that case.

[Shrieker]

Well surely diffuser efficiency wouldn't matter much in a straight line when the DRS is open don't you think

[raymondu999]

But it would reduce the times you could open drs. Kinked straights such as Sepang T3 - would no longer be a DRS zone

[JMN]

While the McLaren clearly had the best F-Duct system, by the time they got to Monza (Race 14) pretty much every top team had their own iteration it installed. The difference can't have been that enormous between the different systems by that time in the season surely?

Actually, Monza was quite important in terms of indicating the relative effectiveness of f-duct solutions. McLaren and Renault (with their evolutionary main element f-duct) was the only teams to retain their system (on Jenson's car), while other teams removed it completely or, as in the case of Ferrari, fitted a unique Monza f-duct. Given the nature of the Monza circuit, this was taken as a clear indication of the effectiveness of various f-duct solutions, one that would see McLaren change their f-duct from blowing the flap to blowing the main element. Considering Renault (Enstone) was the first to blow the main element it would seem reasonable to assume they have significant knowledge in this area, which could be leveraged for pioneering the device seen in practice lately.

edit: I stand corrected. Now, I actually remember Williams calling it a "no-brainer" to run f-duct there. My point still stands though.

[raymondu999]

Actually all teams did a Monza special. McLaren brought their Spa spec, and f-duct-less ones to the race, because they felt their resources were better utilised that way. At that point they were working on a suspension update to ease their need for rocks as suspension.

Jenson's setup was always going to be quick - the big AoA meant that there was much more drag reduction going on than if they used a low AoA system.

[n smikle]

Actually all teams did a Monza special. McLaren brought their Spa spec, and f-duct-less ones to the race, because they felt their resources were better utilised that way. At that point they were working on a suspension update to ease their need for rocks as suspension.

Jenson's setup was always going to be quick - the big AoA meant that there was much more drag reduction going on than if they used a low AoA system.

There was a question hanging over which setup was better at Monza in 2010 as we did not get to see the true potential of the Low AoA setup as Hamilton was in dirty air for Q3 and then binned it on lap 1 of the race.

[ell66]

Actually all teams did a Monza special. McLaren brought their Spa spec, and f-duct-less ones to the race, because they felt their resources were better utilised that way. At that point they were working on a suspension update to ease their need for rocks as suspension.

Jenson's setup was always going to be quick - the big AoA meant that there was much more drag reduction going on than if they used a low AoA system.

Indeed, i always felt that they went to the extremes in both set ups and ferrari went the right way, they brought a small wing (although not as skinny as the one lewis ran) and still used the fduct on it.

[Gilles 27]

Autosprint claims that Mclaren are ready to copy the front pull-rod from Ferrari. (Article in Italian)

That would come with the step nose then!

Step nose would be banned at 2013

[Javert]

Autosprint claims that Mclaren are ready to copy the front pull-rod from Ferrari. (Article in Italian)

That would come with the step nose then!

Step nose would be banned at 2013

As I know, regulations remains the same (except for engine maps and how minimum weight is misured and no f-duct ...)
Stepped nose allowed and "external" exhausts so
This year cars can pratically be fielded next year (HRT <- , Marussia <- )