Comparison of all 2011 cars

[raymondu999]

Scarbs usually draws to scale, I'd be willing to bet that's the case here as well.

I measured the length of the lines in pixels and things seem to check out

[Richard]

Its as accurate as you can be if doodling in PowerPoint and stretching things by eye.

However, the nose mark up simply highlights nose height relative to tyre height. So it is probably accurate for relative comparison from one car to another, ie we could say one car is closer to the 2012 nose than another car.

In terms of absolute measurement it is hopelessly inaccurate.

[Mandrake]

How much of a mess would a 2012 nose on the RedBull or Ferrari be? Given that the leading edge is already below the point it should be, only the top has to be chopped off. Has that a massive effect on the car?

[Richard]

There is a minimum size for the the nose in cross section. So reducing the height means they'll have to push the whole thing down, they can't just have a smaller nose.

That's why RB5 had such pronounced ridges on the side. They put a V on the underside of the nose for air flow, but they had to to put the extra bits on top to comply with minimum depth rules.

Scarbs has a post about it here http://scarbsf1.com/2010/vnoses.html

[MIKEY_!]

And for that reason don't expect to see those ridges return next year.

[raymondu999]

I wouldn't speak too soon. People were saying that this year just having the whole nose at max height (a la Ferrari) would be better, so you had more air feeding the diffuser. Newey stuck with a V-ridged nose, and said that he didn't like the F150's nose; saying that it compromised CofG too much

[MIKEY_!]

The worlds smallest ridges.

[raymondu999]

Actually, next year, would it be legal to run a nose with the same ridges as those, but lower the rest of the nose? i.e. the bit between the ridges, and the bit in front? That way surely you could fall in with the 2012 front chassis regs no?

[aleks_ader]

Actually, next year, would it be legal to run a nose with the same ridges as those, but lower the rest of the nose? i.e. the bit between the ridges, and the bit in front? That way surely you could fall in with the 2012 front chassis regs no?

Yeah i think you have totally right, this is forbidden, but the whole nose will be with the 2012 rules to low to have such ridges! My opinion is also that Red Bull will try to keep front nose highest as possible!

[raymondu999]

Ah... it's forbidden? I was basing my question based on this article by AMuS and their renditions of the nose.

Here's one of the pictures they put up:


The picture brought up the idea of having the nose kind of the same as it is now, just lower everything except the ridges. Or from the context of this picture, basically lower the first half of the nose to the height of the second part, but leave the sidewalls where they are for ridges.

Most people also thought that the ridges would go this year; and Newey would look to make the nose as high as possible to maximize the airflow feeding the underfloor like Ferrari did, but he didn't do that either...

[MIKEY_!]

Well as the pic I posted earlier shows he made the ridges really small.

[raymondu999]

Does it not mean anything to you that he said from the off that his mini-ridged design was better than a Ferrari style very high nose?

[MIKEY_!]

Did he give a reason?

[timbo]

Did he give a reason?

high CofG

[MIKEY_!]

By what looks like at most 10mm? I don't buy it.