Mercedes AMG F1 W04 (pre-launch speculation)

[Forghieri]

The AMGW04 will have a pull-rod front suspension like Ferrari's: http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/24049/ ... es-amg-w04

google translated: http://translate.google.nl/translate?hl ... es-amg-w04

And developing an ultra compact gearbox, leaving more space, it seems they need that for their diffuser and probably a passive system to stall the rearwing, as the article says.

So DRD might be on it?

The writer of that article from Omnicorse thinks it will.
Aldo Costa's first car as head designer at Mercedes, I'm a Ferrari fan but hope they have a great car on the grid next year, really want to see Hamilton fighting at the front.

[Morteza]

All these are too good to be true. From Mercedes at least. As a fan I'd love them to improve, but I think I've seen enough disaster to remain skeptical about anything promising on W04.

BTW, all these rumors are a sign that Mercedes are finally copying others instead of innovating things with trivial performance gains?

[MercAMGF1Fans]

Now we just need one of our resident photoshop gurus to mock-up the W03 with Redbull side pods/exhaust and a panel hiding the stepped nose.

done right click to view full size



w03 Original

[PlatinumZealot]

I like.

[MercAMGF1Fans]

going into the details..
1. redbull rear end - managed to find 2 similar shots of both cars
2. nose blended/covered - so no "bump"
3. lowered the middle element of the front suspension to mimic the layout of the F2012 pullrod

[beelsebob]

If the tiny gearbox rumour is true, I don't believe any of the red bull rear end speculation for a second, for a couple of reasons.

1) McLaren showed their rear end was at least equally good last year
2) The advantage of the tiny gearbox is that you get to effectively end the car earlier, having effectively only supports for the rear wing beyond a certain point. That means you don't want complex tunnely stuff and veins beyond that point, you want everything as cleaned up as possible, just like last year's williams – why else would williams have gone for the somewhat unconventional tail on their engine cover, other than to leave that region 100% free of all obstructions.

[FoxHound]

Before we all get carried away with potential, we should also look at the negatives.
If the car will have an ultra compact gearbox, it will be untested and prone to failure.

Further to this, the red bull style side pods and coanda is 100% clean sheet from what Mercedes have used previously. This opens huge issues as to what is adding performance, another area Mercedes need drastic improvement(what works and why).

A further addition to be cautious over is the pull rod fronts. Ferrari seemed to nail it after extensive testing. But Ferrari did not have to go through the changes Mercedes are facing.

Testing times.

[user001]

Before we all get carried away with potential, we should also look at the negatives.
If the car will have an ultra compact gearbox, it will be untested and prone to failure.

Further to this, the red bull style side pods and coanda is 100% clean sheet from what Mercedes have used previously. This opens huge issues as to what is adding performance, another area Mercedes need drastic improvement(what works and why).

A further addition to be cautious over is the pull rod fronts. Ferrari seemed to nail it after extensive testing. But Ferrari did not have to go through the changes Mercedes are facing.

Testing times.

yes, and remember there is no in-season testing in 2013!

[ringo]

that small gearbox better be reliable!

What i hope they change is the front wing and the bulk that is under the tub. There is so much fat that they can carve off the tub.

[Gridlock]

Further to this, the red bull style side pods and coanda is 100% clean sheet from what Mercedes have used previously. This opens huge issues as to what is adding performance, another area Mercedes need drastic improvement(what works and why).

Hopefully this will be where they make inroads into the Big 3 - since going 60% in the wind tunnel they should, especially with their resource, have spent plenty of time on correlation and modelling.

It's going to be a strange year, new MB team, new driver, huge pressure from the board but in the background the 2014 regs and engines making the whole season a lame duck in some ways.

[PlatinumZealot]

I think the designers are onto something if that Rosberg bull riding video was any indication.

[ringo]

Further to this, the red bull style side pods and coanda is 100% clean sheet from what Mercedes have used previously. This opens huge issues as to what is adding performance, another area Mercedes need drastic improvement(what works and why).

Hopefully this will be where they make inroads into the Big 3 - since going 60% in the wind tunnel they should, especially with their resource, have spent plenty of time on correlation and modelling.

It's going to be a strange year, new MB team, new driver, huge pressure from the board but in the background the 2014 regs and engines making the whole season a lame duck in some ways.

I disagree with that. The 2013 season is even more critical. It's not like the technologies will be completely new in 2014. The main differences are the engines. The year cannot be wasted, most of 2013 can still translate to 85% of 2013, if we look on the car and team as a whole. They are better off trying to get on top of redbull, ferrari and mclaren from early out.

[MercAMGF1Fans]

About the 60% model issue..

check this video out.. at 10min in Ross explains about why there was the midseason slump
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Afws ... XZwb2gtQkk

Pirelli were focussing on providing 60% model tyres.. and they had to bite the bullet and do the upgrade.

[user001]

maybe this is true, but as we all know they're also as other teams very good in telling different variations of "their" excuses. maybe it is true but i do not get why they haven't switched to 60% in the first place? i mean the benefits except maybe costs are clear, aren't they?

[NewtonMeter]

About the 60% model issue..

check this video out.. at 10min in Ross explains about why there was the midseason slump
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B1Afws ... XZwb2gtQkk

Pirelli were focussing on providing 60% model tyres.. and they had to bite the bullet and do the upgrade.

Cool, thanks for sharing. But yeah, for 2013 they will have everything but excuses.