2012 Car Development

[Crucial_Xtreme]

ok so we all know that teams try to choose the best development path early in the season that will allow them to develop the car as much as possible. Figures cited from different places say 0.5s-2.0s from race one to the last race.
However this year is a bit different than the last few years with stricter regulations on exhaust and I'm wondering how much time most of you believe the teams, especially top teams will be able to improve their cars this season.
It seems to me car development this year has less potential for significant gains in pace & lap times. So the question/s are, how much do you think teams can improve in seconds? And specifically what are the areas of development do you feel are most likely to be exploited?(I think exhaust development is limited)

[hardingfv32]

I do not have good recall of RB improvements last year. Did they not improve along with the other front runners last year even though they had what is thought to have been a good blown diffuser form the start of the season.

The tires were new last year also. Some teams might have need all season to figure then out.

Brian

[Crucial_Xtreme]

I do not have good recall of RB improvements last year. Did they not improve along with the other front runners last year even though they had what is thought to have been a good blown diffuser form the start of the season.

The tires were new last year also. Some teams might have need all season to figure then out.

Brian

They had a few improvements for sure but were so far ahead, I wouldn't say throughout the season they gained more lap time than McLaren for instance. Maybe I'm losing my mind, but I just don't see lots of areas for the front runners to improve/bring updates this year. I don't see the Mercedes DRS-Duct giving a huge advantage to any teams other than letting them Quali at the front of the grid and possibly staying there if the car is good enough without DRS.

[Robbobnob]

Thats an interesting point that you have come up with Crucial.

the RB7's true trick at the beginning of the season was their exhaust concept. With Mclaren scrambling to recover from a failed initial concept that left Red Bull clearly infront at the beginning of the season.
I believe once Vettel had his 7th win last season developement of the RB8 was already fully underway.

However this year i think the focus of the cars is drive ability. With the aero rules pretty solidly defined, there isn't a huge advantage to one team over the other in terms of overall downforce (of course the teams at the pointy end share a little more than the rest). this year the cars have way smaller normal loads and therefore how they use their tyres will be crucial to there overall performance.

This year we have seen the Mclaren is very steady and likes its tires whilst being able to warm them up, letting it be competitive in qualifying and the race.
Red Bull dont seem to have all the answers when it comes to qualifying set up (may it be the lack of their inner tyre warmers, or no exhaust heated tyres (re Abu Dhabi) leaving them struggling, but are very quick in the race.
The Ferrari is very fast with a lot of fuel on board, but as it gets lighter cant seem to keep its tyres warm enough.
Mercedes enjoy a technical advantage with their DRS enabled blown front wing (DRSEBFW ) but like last year they lack the ability to care for its tyres, which sends them backwards during the race.
Lotus (Enstone) had a car with very good mechanical grip in 2010, monaco podium as the proof. last year were unfairly hampered by the wrong judgement call of the FEE for 2011, they have proved so far they are competitive in both Qualy and Race, ready to pounce when the established order trips up.
The Midfield teams all have cars capable of breaching the top 10 this year and will be ready and waiting to benefit from the chaos of corner 1 on race day.

In terms of Development, its clear to see what each team needs to do.

Mclaren: keep up the hard work
Red Bull: Get some straightline speed without sacrificing downforce
Ferrari: Get some downforce and don't forget to praise Alonso!
Mercedes: sacrifice some straightline for downforce, a lil more AOA or something to help protect those tyres.
Lotus: Get Kimi up the front of the grid, and keep one eye on Jean Eric-Vergne
Sauber: Get some crazy graphic design for a Livery, be more exciting, attract the attention whilst your name is in the spotlight, to get more sponsorship!!
Williams: (havnt decided about them yet due to two DNF's)
Torro Rossa: find the next Vettel


This, however is only my humble opinion.

[omar2726]

IMHO this season McLaren is the team that has it pretty figured out early on. While Ferrari has the most to gain if they get their car to work properly.

[raymondu999]

It seems to me car development this year has less potential for significant gains in pace & lap times. So the question/s are, how much do you think teams can improve in seconds?

I think that's a given really. Any new year of new regulations is going to have concepts people haven't thought of; and many untested concepts, where to find laptime. And a general refinement.

We've always seen in the past that as regs approach the end of their life cycles, then most ideas have been tested, and less avenues to find laptime haven't been tested; not to mention very refined and optimised concepts as teams approach the theoretical maxima of a set of regs.

I sort of alluded to it last year as well. Red Bull didn't seem to have many upgrade packages over the year, nor the McLaren, but rather seemed to bring more circuit-specific packages to each circuit; ina. Sort of "super setup." I think that a sign that the cars' general designs are already a negligible distance from the optimum, and they're having to just optimise for each particular layout.

Even at cetain tracks you could see they were sort of at the point of "overshooting" on setup, sort of indicating that they were on the fine knife-edge of optimum setup. Rk Webber was taking the first left and right at Maggotts-Becketts at DRS-enabled terminal velocity; which surely can't be good in the race as they would have a terminal velocity that's even less than the speed you should be able to carry through.

[aduka11]

Ferrari Development strategy:

"Copy innovations made by other teams"

I really cant remember when was the last time Ferrari came with their own innovation...and other had to copy it...

[godlameroso]

Development is dependent on money, and technical ability, McLaren has both in spades. Ferrari has the money, but I don't know if they have the technical ability, they certainly didn't last year. Red Bull have brilliant designers, but their technical ability is below that of Lotus. Sauber is an average team in all respects with slightly better technical ability than their finances allow them to show. Williams have excellent technical ability, as they seem to have learned from their mistakes, and their finances are on the upswing.

[marcush.]

i remember Newey elaborating about the strength of their car and he was offering the opinion that RB7 is not quick because it is suiting the Pirelli tyres in particular.he said something like:put on a set of Bridgestones and the pattern would be similar ..I think
RB profted from a superior overall aero concept and a good working mechanical design contributing to aero performance not compromising it.
this year they clearly have not found the balance in their concept and suddenly they have the same issues as everyone else....

about technical ability-

Sauber have the very best in terms of Windtunnel and CFD calculating capability ,mind you the facility is still the same full blown works outfit as it was always planned from day one for Mercedes and when sold to BMW all necessary invest was done ,no question.
RedBull surely is not your average F1 team with a few exceptional people making the difference...they are leaders in Aero development and carbonfibre engineering -the sole team that has mastered cf deflection to aid aero performance since years when others struggle to understand what they are doing.

[godlameroso]

Sauber had the best, I think Lotus has better capabilities as of today.

[marcush.]

Sauber had the best, I think Lotus has better capabilities as of today.

how come?
last year they had no clue whatsoever .They struggled for years to translate their aero research into results.Judging from one car coming from their revised tunnel that seems to work does not guarantee they have the best facility...
but of course ..sauber rarely had the best car on the grid either..

[ajdavison2]

Have Sauber still got access to the Albert series of computing equipment?

[ESPImperium]

Have Sauber still got access to the Albert series of computing equipment?

BMW updated AlbertII to AlbertIII before they left at a cost of €45m. So yes.

AlbertIII was then the second most powerful CFD facility in F1 behind Wirth Research. Now its maybes not in the top 3 but is in the top 5 or 6 say. But as Wirth showed, power isnt the be all and end all. Look at McLaren, their CFD and wind tunnel were both updated in 2008/2009, Mercedes last full tunnel updates were 2007/2008. Mercedes updated their CFD last year, and McLaren will be updating both tunnel and CFD sometime this year.

In F1 a good CFD conputer is a nessesaty, however now it is only as good as the tunnels you use and the real world data that is gathered. Ferrari are showing this year the best CFD in F1 isnt translating as their 2010 tunnel upgrade from 50% to 60% has gone wrong, its needing numbers from Toyotas tunnel for corrolation and a good dollop of real World data to get a accurate marjin for error.

Car development wise this should help Sauber as they have a vastly powerful machine and a good tunnel. However their achillies heel so far is lack of a Technichal Director. This is a car that James Key would have just evolved and evolved, especially if the sponsors now jump onboard post Malasia as rumor has it Sauber is ready for a major worldwide brand name to be put on the car.

[marcush.]

I think you need to know your tools very well to exploit them to the max.It´s like everywhere ,you love your new toy but it takes time to fully understand and gain confidence in what they do well and learn and accept what they just cannot.
But neither CFD nor a windtunnel or a CAD equipment will really produce a single idea of it´s own.sure if you got bright heads nearby understanding what´s revealed it will be just inspiring them to come up with more and more ideas to improve.

[donskar]

Ferrari Development strategy:

"Copy innovations made by other teams"

I really cant remember when was the last time Ferrari came with their own innovation...and other had to copy it...

"semi" automatic transmission?

Fabricated transmission case?

Carbon fiber trans?

Suspension flex joints?