McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[speedsense]

Sorry if I missed someone pointing this out...but it was Ferrari not Mclaren that asked for the rule clarification on Pyrosic.

[feynman]

The rules say only one exit per engine bank is allowed. I can't see how a team could go and claim such a system is just car bodywork when it's role is to channel gases from the engine, the very definition of what an exhaust does!

If the scrutineers count them, and there are only two exhaust system exits, then nobody needs to try and claim anything, the design would simply speak for itself.

The rules say two exits, how you get round that restriction for advantage is precisely the essence of F1 at its best. That is kinda the whole point of the sport, to have engineers easily make monkeys of administrators and rulebooks.

[marcush.]

I don´t see the difference to a exhaust blown diffusser or a exhaust blown diffusser deck .It would be entirely legal to build a duct obove the diffusser and blow into it..starting from this you can as well blow into a bodywork box.(as long as you are not having a physical connection to the exhaust pipe .

[ali.unal]

Sorry if I missed someone pointing this out...but it was Ferrari not Mclaren that asked for the rule clarification on Pyrosic.

Source?

[Just_a_fan]

The irony of the banning of this item (if it has been banned) is that McLaren will probably now spend a fortune either designing something else or getting the original design to work in "traditional" materials. Hardly a cost saving judgement really...

what an argument! It is McLaren's responsibility to design a car within the regulations. If they don't and get caught, then they will pay the price. The argument that the piece should not be banned because it will be too expensive to re-design the car simply does not hold. What about the DDD in 2009? 7 teams spent a fortune to redesign the cars because of a stupid decision that a hole in not a hole......

Read what I wrote. I didn't argue for it, I said it was ironic that what has been reported as a cost saving decision will end up being more expensive.

As to whether it was ever legal in the first place, well I'm not sure I've ever made a comment about that per se. I have said that I'm surprised if McLaren hadn't checked this with Charlie as they went along. If they did so and received early support for the idea only to have it outlawed at the last minute then that is not right.

If, however, they went out on a limb without checking etc. then, yes, they have to risk getting stuffed at the last minute.

Interestingly, McLaren haven't made much of this so I wonder if they've figured out an alternative method of achieving their original goal. Whitmarsh has made suggestions that the car will be suitably competitive in Oz, however, so I'd expect that they have figured something out.

At least now we all have an idea about what Hamilton meant when he stated early on that the -26 has a 'trick rear wing'...

[i70q7m7ghw]

IMO this octopus thing is BS.

It looks more like they are using the floor to channel exhuast gases. Look at the thickness of the floor in some areas, it's clear that there is a void between the flat underside of the floor, and the sculpted pyrosic topside. I suspect McLaren were blowing exhuast gases in to this void and expirementing with different exits. We saw one configuration where it exited infront of the rear tyres, I bet they had others where it exited under the crash structure. I doubt there are any pipes, just the two exhuast pipes blowing in to a hollow floor.

It's likely someone saw the amount of pyrosic on their car along with the u-bend exhuast and requested clarification from the FIA.

[bonjon1979]

Please feel free to shoot this down, take the mick out of my drawings, pass me off as a buffoon who knows little or nothing about aerodynamics/engineering etc. Also apologies for the nomenclature used, hopefully some clever bod can expand on these thoughts and do a better description. Okay, here goes.

Two things struck when I thought about this octopus exhaust idea.

The first was that I couldn't see how this solution could be legal if the exhausts were attached to the 'octopus' which meant they'd have to be kind of free floating, ie exiting into the octopus but not attached in anyway. But if they did this, surely they wouldn't be able to retain the energy needed for the gases to be channeled effectively through the ducts and still be able to power the diffuser/ floor?

The second thing that struck me was the amount of attention Mclaren have paid to the second air intake on the engine cover. ie putting flo viz over the entrance to it and adjusting the panels around to allow more air to get in. We know that macca has a lot of experience with KERS and haven't any problems related to this system reported. This got me thinking. Could that second air intake actually be channeling air down to the octopus where it is energised by the exhaust gases before being channeled to the various parts of the car? I'm sure it would take some complicated ducting to get the correct pressure (?) but haven't they got experience with this before in the F-duct?

Anyway, for what it's worth here is a sketch that looks like it was done by a three year old but might help explain what I'm on about. It'd be great to hear peoples thoughts and see their much improved drawings!!

http://img696.imageshack.us/i/mclarenoctopusimg032.jpg/

[fausto cedros]

You are supposing that the octopus is acting as a mixer and part of the second roll intake flow is being used to cool down the exhaust trading off some energy for some mass flow rate, and they are acting on the final temperatures to have a conventionally built octopus for australia? Could be, but the trick sounds a lot less effective.

[bonjon1979]

You are supposing that the octopus is acting as a mixer and part of the second roll intake flow is being used to cool down the exhaust trading off some energy for some mass flow rate, and they are acting on the final temperatures to have a conventionally built octopus for australia? Could be, but the trick sounds a lot less effective.

I wouldn't go so far as to speculate on their plans for Australia but the rest of what you said sounds like what I'm getting at.

[Caerdroia]

Sorry if I missed someone pointing this out...but it was Ferrari not Mclaren that asked for the rule clarification on Pyrosic.

Source?

"Ferrari wanted to produce the exhaust in glass ceramic composite (such as Pyrosic), but this request was denied by Charlie whiting who clarified the exhaust must be made of materials on the permitted materials list."

From: http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/2011/03/1 ... -analysis/

[McG]

Scarbs isn't a reliable source, he's just another guy drawing things.

That last guys drawing really simplifies it, but I still doubt it's what's going on till there is an explanation from a reliable source.

Although it's not too far fetched to think that McLaren have had something brilliant banned. If only they were Brawn.

[Florio]

Scarbs isn't a reliable source, he's just another guy drawing things.

That last guys drawing really simplifies it, but I still doubt it's what's going on till there is an explanation from a reliable source.

Although it's not too far fetched to think that McLaren have had something brilliant banned. If only they were Brawn.

You say that as if the guys from Autosport etc have their information confirmed. There wont be a reliable source unless there is an FIA statement banning it.

I don't think the design is too far fetched, it would explain no one really knowing the location of the exhausts, and the bumps around the car, and potentially why the car is considerably fatter than the others.

[McG]

I don't go on autopoop.

[Florio]

You can go anywhere, what I am saying is that no one is a credible source. This whole Forum is built on mere speculation.

[McG]

It's my prerogative to doubt. And in my opinion I've not seen a clear enough picture so surmise that there is, to take several steps back, a problem with McLarens exhaust(s).

Seems to be all the same people coming on bumping their gums, maybe take it to PM or MSN multi chat.