Mercedes AMG F1 W04

[tony77g]

do you have any idea what it would take to cast a double walled wheel?

When did it matter for a top F1 team to create something difficult? Especially if the teams biggest problem is rear tire degradation since 3 years now. If this is a solution for that, then it is a simple one I think.
I still do not get why would they paint it to black, what purpose would it serve, especially since we can see on the break duct that there is some opening right there where the supposed wheel rim openings are.
And especially since their biggest problem is tire management is this is a viable possibility.

F1talks.pl of 01 august 2013 after analysis conducted in collaboration with Craig Scarborough, backed by the expertise of the editorial board of Tobias Gruner Auto Motor und Sport :
"Teams to seal the brakes and reduce heat transfer to the tires use special band made of rubber or Teflon. The elastic element is subjected to forces acting on the wheel while driving exactly filling the space between the hub and the rim. Most teams found the band on the hub, but Mercedes, for unknown reasons, yet I decided to put it on the rim."

[Hobbs04]

Or maybe they lined "the cavity" with teflon.

[dans79]

F1talks.pl of 01 august 2013 after analysis conducted in collaboration with Craig Scarborough, backed by the expertise of the editorial board of Tobias Gruner Auto Motor und Sport :
"Teams to seal the brakes and reduce heat transfer to the tires use special band made of rubber or Teflon. The elastic element is subjected to forces acting on the wheel while driving exactly filling the space between the hub and the rim. Most teams found the band on the hub, but Mercedes, for unknown reasons, yet I decided to put it on the rim."

well that's the bloggers interpetation.

scrabs actually said

@timsweb not 100%, I just mailed @f1talks.It might be a double walled insulating wheel rim or a rubbing strip on the rim for the brake duct

take notice of the word or.

[Multiplex]

On the picture of the inside rim there is something special to see (apart from the black "teflon" slot )
that should give us a hint whats going on

[tony77g]

F1talks.pl of 01 august 2013 after analysis conducted in collaboration with Craig Scarborough, backed by the expertise of the editorial board of Tobias Gruner Auto Motor und Sport :
"Teams to seal the brakes and reduce heat transfer to the tires use special band made of rubber or Teflon. The elastic element is subjected to forces acting on the wheel while driving exactly filling the space between the hub and the rim. Most teams found the band on the hub, but Mercedes, for unknown reasons, yet I decided to put it on the rim."

well that's the bloggers interpetation.

scrabs actually said

@timsweb not 100%, I just mailed @f1talks.It might be a double walled insulating wheel rim or a rubbing strip on the rim for the brake duct

take notice of the word or.

of course,
I agree with you

[GrandAxe]

so maybe it is easier to understand

http://www.zaslike.com/

I disagree, if it was a surface, it would reflect light at least a little bit, even if it was rubber(unless it's a perfect black body).

Secondly, the two "bumps" on either side look like beads, and those are exactly what you would use to stiffen the edge of a thin cylinder.

Agreed.
It does look like a cavity that's been painted black as would be expected if its purpose was to dissipate heat.

[diego.liv]

We are all excited about the next few upgrades coming for Spa and Monza, but i'd like to point out that we haven't seen the real one lap pace for Hungary: the set-up was made to have an advantage in sector 1 and prevent followers to have simple life in overtaking the W04s.
With this in mind, a different set-up, like redbull for sector 2, would have bettered both the qualy pace and tyre wear? It's only my idea, i know that if this was working then they would have had a much lower top speed (again, see Vettel v Button)

With DRD working, they can focus more on mechanical grip, maybe closing the gap with bulls, and have enough aero to fly on the straights

[nacho]

I am more convinced that the it is a hollow cavity there. I don't think manufacturing would be a problem, just weld the rim from two pieces. But is for additional airfow to bring heat out off wheel or to change the stiffness charesteristics?

[Owen.C93]

Yeah you can just oversize the wheel and add the thin inner wall. Line it with strakes like a radiator. The McLaren wheel has all those little holes in it to allow air to escape, I'd be interested to see what the Merc wheel looks like from the other side.

[GrandAxe]

The 2006 Ferrari used a similar idea to the general idea of what's being discussed here (only it was for brake cooling). There's a diagram of their brake cooling airflow at this link:
http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drive ... 6/267.html

[Multiplex]

The 2006 Ferrari used a similar idea to the general idea of what's being discussed here (only it was for brake cooling). There's a diagram of their brake cooling airflow at this link:
http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drive ... 6/267.html

No this is a complete different setup , the cooling air for the brake leave the wheel on the inside.
The slot wich you see here let pass fresh air trough the rim and can be regulated in practice.

[GrandAxe]

The 2006 Ferrari used a similar idea to the general idea of what's being discussed here (only it was for brake cooling). There's a diagram of their brake cooling airflow at this link:
http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drive ... 6/267.html

No this is a complete different setup , the cooling air for the brake leave the wheel on the inside.
The slot wich you see here let pass fresh air trough the rim and can be regulated in practice.

I see what you mean. The air in that pic really doesn't go through the gap in the rim as I thought.

[tony77g]

a comparison with other rims

Ferrari (left), Sauber (center) and Lotus (Right)

[Multiplex]

When you place the picture of the Sauber wheel asside the mercedes rim you see the trick.
There is a something very different.

[sucof]

do you have any idea what it would take to cast a double walled wheel?

When did it matter for a top F1 team to create something difficult? Especially if the teams biggest problem is rear tire degradation since 3 years now. If this is a solution for that, then it is a simple one I think.
I still do not get why would they paint it to black, what purpose would it serve, especially since we can see on the break duct that there is some opening right there where the supposed wheel rim openings are.
And especially since their biggest problem is tire management is this is a viable possibility.

F1talks.pl of 01 august 2013 after analysis conducted in collaboration with Craig Scarborough, backed by the expertise of the editorial board of Tobias Gruner Auto Motor und Sport :
"Teams to seal the brakes and reduce heat transfer to the tires use special band made of rubber or Teflon. The elastic element is subjected to forces acting on the wheel while driving exactly filling the space between the hub and the rim. Most teams found the band on the hub, but Mercedes, for unknown reasons, yet I decided to put it on the rim."

Thanks for the info. Seeing the rims of the other teams, I can see the usefulness of this solution too. I bet at the next race we will have better pictures to decide.