Mercedes AMG F1 W03 (pre-launch speculation)

[Mr.S]

I sincerely hope Merc haven't been silly enough to delay testing because of this wonder innovation, because I believe it is all smoke and mirrors for other things teams might be doing. I really hope they haven't delayed their testing for that other wonder innovation, the front wing F-duct, either because it's an avenue that won't pay them back.

McLaren got around three or four tenths on average from the F-duct by most estimates, but once it was on the car that was all it gained them all season. Once other teams got it on their cars the advantage was all lost and it then became clear later on in the season what McLaren hadn't done the legwork on - usable downforce.

They gained as much a 4 to 7 tenths of a second depending upon the track & how they set-up the car. 5 TENTHS on an average of there-about.

[beelsebob]

Optical illusion. Please spare me. This is getting more & more ridiculous. FIA is Mclaren & Red Bull's li'l puppy now anyway.

Well, I guess at least they've shed the Ferrari International Assistance nomenclature

[xpensive]

I sincerely hope Merc haven't been silly enough to delay testing because of this wonder innovation, because I believe it is all smoke and mirrors for other things teams might be doing. I really hope they haven't delayed their testing for that other wonder innovation, the front wing F-duct, either because it's an avenue that won't pay them back.

McLaren got around three or four tenths on average from the F-duct by most estimates, but once it was on the car that was all it gained them all season. Once other teams got it on their cars the advantage was all lost and it then became clear later on in the season what McLaren hadn't done the legwork on - usable downforce.

I'm afraid that's the logical assumption mun, another xample of complete managerial incompetence, probably on Ross Brawn's part, to risk everything for a wild goose chase like that, only goes to show how lost at sea this team is.

[Mr.S]

...

Probably. Laugh at their ridiculous comments. Brawns did the same,take extra time for DD & RBR did the same. The great Newey for his Red Bull with the EBD the before last year.

[xpensive]

True to tradition and just like JET predicted, the entire W03 is probably designed and redesigned around the hydraulic ride-height compensator and f*ck-duck front wing, which of course will be banned as well come the first race.

Good theme for a battery of xcuses though.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

How clever would Red Bull look if the EBD and Flexing body work was banned?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

If you dont take risks you dont win. End of the day, the FIA have had a hand in who performs well and who does not in 2012.
Shocking when you consider this device was declared all legal a year ago. Nothing changed except for some rather Machiavellian manouvres by a team....

Apparently word on the street is a top team who were very slow in developing the system but have experimented with it in 2010 only to follow the flexing bodywork route, showed a design to the FIA for verification very recently.
The main purpose of the design was Ride height adjustment, and not a brake actuator as it was presented by LRGP last year. The whole idea was thus banned.

[Med4224]

I'm afraid that's the logical assumption mun, another xample of complete managerial incompetence, probably on Ross Brawn's part, to risk everything for a wild goose chase like that, only goes to show how lost at sea this team is.

Syllogism, if either of the major or minor premises is conjecture, the resulting conclusion will be conjecture.

And ironically, you managed to include the word "logical" in your comment

pretty cool

Until the car races, we know nothing, neither positive nor negative.

The delay is a disadvantage, sure; unless they come up with something awesomely effective (which is a long shot)

Till then, we can't "logically" assume anything

[xpensive]

@JET; As I remember things, there was an attempt to ban the EBD mid-season, wasn't there? Flexing wings have been banned since a long time, though the technical thinkers of FIA have yet to come up with an efficient way to police it.

I think it's reasonable, even logic if you wish, to assume that every original idea will be treated the same way from now on, the ambition is clearly to move F1 into standardization as far as possible without making it a spec-series?

In that context, delaying a new car for reasons of clever little gizmos would seem pretty foolish, wouldn't it?

[Schulteiss]

...
Until the car races, we know nothing, neither positive nor negative.
...

O'boy, that's deep, but what's the name of this thread again?

@JET; As I remember things, there was an attempt to ban the EBD mid-season, wasn't there? Flexing wings have been banned since a long time, though the technical thinkers of FIA have yet to come up with an efficient way of policing it.

I think it's reasonable, even logic if you wish, to assume that every original idea will be treated the same way from now on, the ambition is clearly to move F1 into standardization as far as possible without making it a spec-series?

In that context, delaying a new car for reasons of clever little gizmos would seem pretty foolish, wouldn't it?

Why are you so sure that the reason for the delayed launch is "clever little gizmos" as you put it? There is no factual reason underlying that at all, apart from speculation from both pro- and anti-Merc parties like yourself. In fact, if we are indeed speaking of logic, it is way more logical to believe what Mercedes themselves have pointed out as a reason, namely added development time, also saying that it is a reasonable compromise they are willing to make. There is not even a whisper coming from them about anything else. Everything else is guesswork at the moment, which of course means your guess is as good as anybody's in the matter. Saying that, the logic you rely on is faulty IMHO, you deduct from a bunch of dubious speculations, which makes the deduction itself less than convincing.

[Aryoh]

According to this MGP will be at Jerez, but with W02.

http://translate.google.hr/translate?sl ... 94183.html

[Mr.S]

I like the name F*ck-Duck wing or whatever.

Anyways of a serious note I have always mainted that wasting potential few thousands of km's is a blunder unless you have a real good innovation or a quick car out of the box. Mercedes,HRT & Virgin are the only 3 teams who will not debut their car prior to Jerez.

It's a shame really. With as few as 3 tests,every other team have done the sensible thing & worked doubly hard to maximise all pre-season time. And I predicted they will run the W02 on the new tyres atleast for a day. Some running is always better than nothing,atleast for the drivers.

There is nothing more to say. Time for speculations & ridiculous opinions is over. The new cars will debut within 15 days odd. Hardly 2 weeks. The wait it almost over. Let's store this ridiculous discussion for next year & wait for the TEST.

[Giblet]

Little if any speculation going on.

Please stop bickering. Speculate about the car please.

[FrukostScones]

Will the ban of the front reactive ride height system hurt Mercedes most:

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/14763/ ... e-dassetto

It is rumored that Mercedes tried to integrate that system in their interconnected suspension system, with the ban of the frhs, a key component was lost.

[Forza]

Will the ban of the front reactive ride height system hurt Mercedes most:

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/14763/ ... e-dassetto

It is rumored that Mercedes tried to integrate that system in their interconnected suspension system, with the ban of the frhs, a key component was lost.

That would be good upgrade to their system but even without the RHH interconnected suspension is still beneficial. Fia didn't mention their solution so it stays legal. I'm wondering if the new car will have rear and front connetion. For 2011 there were olny images showing left and right rear suspension connection.