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Honda grows elephant ears

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From all the updates at Barcelona, Honda came up with the weirdest looking of all. Instead of an added plane on the front wing, Honda have not been looking for front downforce. Instead two giant extensions were developed on top of the nose cone. These are positioned and curved so that they improve airflow towards the driver's helmet and further downward onto the rear wing. As this may affect driver visibility or may be dangerous in case of an accident it is still unsure at this time whether this specification will see a race. If it weren't the race already, Honda now have the most alienated car on the grid.

Comments

By Giblet on 04-05-2007 at 04:01

They will be banned on the basis of bads looks.

Bernie outlawed the dual verticals on the BWM based on safety, although he thought they were simply ugly.

The same thing was done with the X-Wing Mclaren in the early 90s.

By mx_tifoso on 04-05-2007 at 05:14

A simple brush with another car and they\'ll be flying towars JB\'s/RB\'s face. I definately seem them as a safety concern. No doubt they will taken off before the Spanish GP.

By mini696 on 04-05-2007 at 06:03

How can we claim anythin on an F1 car is more dangerous than any other part? Look at DC v AW in the AUS GP this season.

By DaveKillens on 04-05-2007 at 06:27

These appendages are totally unlike anything I have ever witnessed. Either Honda are grasping at straws (and looking foolish) or this is a genuine article designed to correct a flaw. The only way to measure their true intent is to see if they appear at the S

By DaveKillens on 04-05-2007 at 06:29

Spanish GP and help cure the car\'s problems. The jury is out, but I find it hard to stifle a giggle.

By jwielage on 04-05-2007 at 15:43

I agree with mini696, I don\'t perceive these to significantly increase the risk of injury to the driver at all. Wheel to wheel contact and high speed impact seem to be the most dangerous situations for an F1 driver. I just don\'t see a scenario where one of the ears would sheer off at high speed and jab through the visor of JB or RB. That being said I\'m not sure what type of impact would result in such an event due to their positioning, as an impact would be mostly absorbed by the more forwardly protruding nosecone. This is not to say that this situation couldn\'t happen, it just seems remote.

All of this is blind speculation of course. Haha, guess that means what I am saying is garbage to some extent.... haha

I will say this thought, I am not a f1 purest. To me I get pleasure out of seeing weird and wacky sh*t on these cars. But would you ever see Ferrari with something like this? Hell no, they have their act together. Updates like these will never become prominant, as these ears are a bandaid, that is covering a wound that badly needs stitches.

By G-Rock on 04-05-2007 at 17:21

Just attach them with safety cables just like the suspension tethers. That will eliminate any safety concerns. I still think that Ferrari\'s engine cover is uglier though.

By megz on 06-05-2007 at 06:11

These take the cake in ugliness... They had better be banned! Anyone else notice how alike the 2004 BAR and RA107 are?

By DTM310 on 08-05-2007 at 22:28

Whether they will cause injury to personnel is irrelevant, its Honda\'s pride they should be worried about.

While development can take many directions in the pursuit of quantative results, the words of the Late Sir. Keith Duckworth always come to mind (quote) \"Over development is the product of bad design\". Honda have some reason behind their efforts spent in the development of these \"Wings\" shall we say. However, it does not seem as though the correct approach to downforce generation due to smooth airflow has been achieved and the pace and lap times in testing have been proof of this. The very shape on the upper surfaces of the \"wings\" will induce lift rather than downforce and the underside shaping of the device is proof of this as they appear to be almost flat. The question here is; What advantage if any can be expected from a device which to all appearances acts in the completely opposite way from complementing the aerodynamic front wing.

To my mind these \"Wings\" will do two things:

1) The airflow over them will increase in speed closer to the surface of the nose cone of the car and thus be more turbulent on exit over their upper surfaces, due to increased boundary layer intrusion and creating a less than desirable disturbed flow field behind and above the front wing.

2) If they are designed to smooth the airflow over the upper surface of the nose cone, they will in fact be only able to acheive this if they are not attached to it.

McClaren have demonstrated clever ingenuity by designing a complimentary element that is attached to the front wing end plates and is spanning the width of the front of the car. This design effectively creates a smoothing effect on the turbulent high pressure air approaching the front of the car and also allows even distribution of that flow over and around the surfaces of the nose cone, plus, creating a desirable amount of front end stability particularly when following another car and being subject to unstable air flow density created by it.

Honda need to take a look at the failures of past endeavors in creating the shapes and structures of the front of an F1 car, I remember distinctly the front end of the Williams not so long ago which had a projected \"Hammer Head\" design, it worked as a different approach to mounting the wing itself, but the surface between the mounting pylons was creating lift by the very nature of its shape.

By Seas on 09-05-2007 at 09:03

Another proof of desperate pursuit for performance. Very often, additional strange wings make things worst. Toyota is the proof. :idea:

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