Mikey F1 - 2012 Innovations

[ForMuLaOne]

Are perforated surfaces allowed? Why dont they suck off the boundary layer with a doubled bodywork (one solid layer, one perforated above) connected to the diffusor... would love to see this.

[flynfrog]

It will act as some component of a rudder. Something completely unneeded on an f1 car the rear wing end plates have more than enough area for the speeds an f1 car is traveling not to mention the giant slicks on the four corners of the car. Mikey is confusing aero stability of a banking plane to turning stability of a non banking car.

[Pierce89]

By stability I mean side to side motion (rocking). It is commonly used in aviation for wings to be V-shaped when view from the front. When the plane banks the lower side of the V is upright and produces more lift than the higher side. This difference causes the plane to level out. It is a common practice. This must of course be and inverted V as the lift is inverted too.

The beam wing is definitely about producing DF. That's why everyone made sure the underside of it was unimpeded this season. This season every team is working the beam wing harder to get more DF to make up for the loss of the DDD. But the beam wings prmary function is DEFINITELY to create DF. Last year was really the only exception when everyone designed it as an extraction augmentor for the DDD.

[volarchico]

I don't think the beam wing is all about downforce. I think you were more correct in describing its function last year. It has become more important this year since it has to be an even more powerful "extraction augmentor" for the diffuser now that the DDD is banned.

[raymondu999]

I agree with volarchico. Hence why this year the teams have been experimenting with all the gurney tabs they're attaching onto the diffuser too.

[PhillipM]

They've got to the point where they're not really gurney's as such any more, and more like flaps tbh.

[MIKEY_!]

How big can they make those flaps?

PS a car will rock during cornering.

This beam wing design helps to prevent that.

[raymondu999]

You mean "roll"

[flynfrog]

How big can they make those flaps?

PS a car will rock during cornering.

This beam wing design helps to prevent that.

I am honestly not sure what you are talking about that car has just hit a curb a wing is not going to stop that. An f1 car only rolls a few degrees in a corner its not really relevant as far as the wings are concerned.

[raymondu999]

Yes body roll is relatively insignificant when cornering. Mikey I think your picture is rather showing a kerb strike; like when the cars monster Singapore Turn 10 and Turn 14/15 Catalunya

[volarchico]

Unlike in airplanes where they have a relatively large span (and hence a greater ability to create a restoring moment), having any sort of anhedral/dihedral on the beam wing will create very little restoring force during body roll. I'm pretty sure this was never the design reason to have the beam wing angled that way.

[ESPImperium]

ESP - was the mandatory weight distribution not reinstated until the end of 2012?

I was under the illusion that it was gone at the end of 2011, may need clarification on that one and will be happy to take guidance on this one.

Not sure when increasing DF came into the beam wing argument. It's to make the car more stable, nothing more.

Actually it might help shift air in behind the rear tires like Mclarens endplates do.

ESP: I'm not trying to predict innovations for next year I'm just coming up with stuff that I think might just be legal and a perhaps even beneficial and being modest enough to ask those who actually know what they are doing for some opinions. I agree there probably won't be anything revolutionary next year, just solid engineering.

Those nose air intakes already cool the brake fluid and power steering fluid units at the front of the car. As well as keep the driver cool

Not especially strenuous.

The beam wing influences the trailing wake vortex, and stability you speak of comes from downforce, more negative lift in the rear = more stability. I assume teams are doing plenty of studies to get the shape of the monocoque perfect, as it's something that really can't be changed mid season. Just about everything else can be adjusted and modified to a point. Whoever can generate the most rear downforce will most likely be the fastest car on the grid, because most cars already generate more downforce in the front than the rear.

I wasnt trying to say that predicting ideas is a bad thing, its just almost imposible to sat what could be and what will be, however its nice to have a think what we would like to see.

Personally i think sidepods will be the main aera of development, the reduction and slimming down of them to energise the beam wing aera and diffuser. Whitch will see another aera of development as well. very simmilar to the Red Bull Monza one.

[bill shoe]

ESP - was the mandatory weight distribution not reinstated until the end of 2012?

I was under the illusion that it was gone at the end of 2011, may need clarification on that one and will be happy to take guidance on this one.

I think Scarbs confirmed that the original intention was to have mandatory weight distribution in 2011 only, but the teams have recently agreed to extend this through 2012.

[MIKEY_!]

Maybe angling the cascade on the FW, that would give better leverage although they are much smaller components? Bit tricky on the front wing cause of the effect on the rest of the car.

Exhausts like this for next year, unless they can aim them downward to reach the diffuser:

[raymondu999]

I'm positive that Sam Michael said the last 110 mm of the exhausts were of a mandated radius and angle.