Mercedes AMG F1 W04

[Giando]

Really? Isn't that one the drive shaft?!?
I am a little confused...

[GrizzleBoy]

Nope the drive shaft is further back coloured in black, right behind the silver arm we're talking about right now.

The bulge of bodywork at the back is hiding what you'd usually be able to see and playing tricks on your eyes.

[scarbs]

I cant make out a full lower wishbone either, which is weird. There appears to be a single link behind the driveshaft, but the driveshaft is exposed. I hope they aren't Trying the Lotus Europa method of the driveshaft as part of the suspension (wobbly!).

[Huntresa]

The entire backend area of this car is special, floor seems to dip down and under to the start motor hole and the bodywork above that seems to go out from the chassis.

[Giando]

I cant make out a full lower wishbone either, which is weird. There appears to be a single link behind the driveshaft, but the driveshaft is exposed. I hope they aren't Trying the Lotus Europa method of the driveshaft as part of the suspension (wobbly!).

So there is actually a 'weird' scheme back there...

[dren]

Gary Anderson:
"At first glance I can't see where the 'step change in performance' Mercedes are talking about is going to come from with their new car.

"There are a few changes here and there, but not necessarily in ways that look like they will be a big advantage.

"One area that is definitely working a bit harder is the front brake ducts, which are more elaborate.

"The nose has the allowed 'vanity panel' to hide the height difference between nose tip and chassis. If you put little ridges on either side of the nose, that can help prevent air spilling over the side. But the way Mercedes have designed their nose it looks like it will exacerbate that problem, which affects the aerodynamics detrimentally.

"The sidepods have a raised outer edge. It's aimed at getting air to the rear but it creates lift, and then there are turning vanes on top to reduce the lift. So that confuses me a little.

"They are trying to use the exhaust for aerodynamic effect at the back, but there is an awful lot of bodywork back there which will block the airflow and reduce the effectiveness of the 'coke-bottle' shape, which is what gives overall downforce, as opposed to the on-throttle downforce you get from the exhausts.

"Unlike the McLaren, which looked a step forward in every area, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm seeing anything too exciting about the Mercedes."

Gary Anderson gets it wrong about as much as he gets it right.

[Artur Craft]

....... It was employed on the W03 so nothing new and worked out to be counter intuitive with DDRS and the Pirelli balance, with Pirelli tyres that allow a larger contact patch and no DDRS it may work much better....

this is a bit off-topic, but how do you know Pirelli tires allow larger contact patch?

Is this comparions between their 2012 and 2013 tires or is it with the previous Bridgestones(which I would bet gave more contact patch than Pirelli ever did)

if they won't change the whole rear before or in melbourne, they certainly won't improve rear downforce(front downforce was ok last year) levels to redbull or mclaren levels. goodbye merc.

where did you get this?

From what I know based on my study of aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics in college, and of the things I read from experts like Gascoigne and etc, since regulation chance in 2009, teams can easily gain downforce at the front, as they need it to balance the rear's.

Exactly for having low downforce at the rear, Mercedes were running a low downforce fw for most of last year.

Gary Anderson comments makes me not have much expectations with the car. Let's see how the testings unfold.

[Adamski]

Very interestingly the bodywork is still too big for me after the exhaust where the lower rear A-arm connect into the gearbox. You can see a big undercut below this part.

Wonder why they just didn't flatten this part to make better airflow to the diffusore, just like other teams did if Merc truly have the so called super tight gearbox.

[Huntresa]

Gary Anderson:
"At first glance I can't see where the 'step change in performance' Mercedes are talking about is going to come from with their new car.

"There are a few changes here and there, but not necessarily in ways that look like they will be a big advantage.

"One area that is definitely working a bit harder is the front brake ducts, which are more elaborate.

"The nose has the allowed 'vanity panel' to hide the height difference between nose tip and chassis. If you put little ridges on either side of the nose, that can help prevent air spilling over the side. But the way Mercedes have designed their nose it looks like it will exacerbate that problem, which affects the aerodynamics detrimentally.

"The sidepods have a raised outer edge. It's aimed at getting air to the rear but it creates lift, and then there are turning vanes on top to reduce the lift. So that confuses me a little.

"They are trying to use the exhaust for aerodynamic effect at the back, but there is an awful lot of bodywork back there which will block the airflow and reduce the effectiveness of the 'coke-bottle' shape, which is what gives overall downforce, as opposed to the on-throttle downforce you get from the exhausts.

"Unlike the McLaren, which looked a step forward in every area, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm seeing anything too exciting about the Mercedes."

Gary Anderson gets it wrong about as much as he gets it right.

I assume the bodywork he means is the mass i mentioned above that is right behind the exhaust but above the dip in the floor, which looks like their own open version of red bull tunnel.

[Huntresa]

Very interestingly the bodywork is still too big for me after the exhaust where the lower rear A-arm connect into the gearbox. You can see a big undercut below this part.

Wonder why they just didn't flatten this part to make better airflow to the diffusore, just like other teams did if they really have the so called super tight gearbox.

If you look closer you see the bottom wall of the bodywork going downwards in a dip almost going to the starter motor hole and this bodywork above acts like a roof it seems.

[Huntresa]

This is what im seeing,

[Blanchimont]

Not sure if you guys discussed it already, but anyway interesting detail - vane protruding from the bottom of the rear wing mainplane.

Maybe preparation for passive DRD, or some additional winglets, or...

Either what you mentioned or maybe just a plate to fix a camera for the videos they took today. There are two holes visible, so it's very likely Mercedes wants to place something there, but just not now for the photographers.

[bonjon1979]

Would it be legal to attach a sharkfin to that piece hanging down? I know they made a rule preventing any bodywork connecting with the wing but I wonder if this may be a way of getting around that.

[godlameroso]

The people claiming this car is just as bad as last year, clearly have no eye for detail. In 20 races, and 5 testing sessions you mean to say that Mercedes learned nothing? That they just put a few panels on this car and off she goes?

Hardly, if you really examine everything, it looks like the car has been tweaked in just about every area imaginable. I see: curves, slots, vortex generators, revised aerodynamic geometry. The tweaks are subtle which is fine, their car last year certainly generated downforce, this one will make more, and more efficiently to boot. Not to mention, this is the launch car, all those body panels in the rear seem like they were just tacked on will be changed before Melbourne. I for one would love more competition at the front. If all the top cars are within .2 of each other then we have a very good season ahead of us.

[Raptor22]

Gary Anderson:
"At first glance I can't see where the 'step change in performance' Mercedes are talking about is going to come from with their new car.

"There are a few changes here and there, but not necessarily in ways that look like they will be a big advantage.

"One area that is definitely working a bit harder is the front brake ducts, which are more elaborate.

"The nose has the allowed 'vanity panel' to hide the height difference between nose tip and chassis. If you put little ridges on either side of the nose, that can help prevent air spilling over the side. But the way Mercedes have designed their nose it looks like it will exacerbate that problem, which affects the aerodynamics detrimentally.

"The sidepods have a raised outer edge. It's aimed at getting air to the rear but it creates lift, and then there are turning vanes on top to reduce the lift. So that confuses me a little.

"They are trying to use the exhaust for aerodynamic effect at the back, but there is an awful lot of bodywork back there which will block the airflow and reduce the effectiveness of the 'coke-bottle' shape, which is what gives overall downforce, as opposed to the on-throttle downforce you get from the exhausts.

"Unlike the McLaren, which looked a step forward in every area, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm seeing anything too exciting about the Mercedes."

Gary Anderson gets it wrong about as much as he gets it right.

But he is right. Theres nothing exciting about it.
it looks like a polished up W03 which means they either made their problems worse or they''re just where they were last year.

it looks really chunky at the back and the front really doesn't carry anything that says "we've made up the 1sec deficit".

its a polished turd.