Force India VJM04 Mercedes

[Florio]

Sidepods are tiny compared to everyone else's.

[mith]

HRT too

I think they'll go pull rod, cause of Williams gearbox. Or did they get their previous model?

[raymondu999]

Further inspection revealed an apparently new technology to create a blown-defuser effect, since it was to late to change the exhaust exits to the front of the car.
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/6c537794dd.jpg

Please tell me you're joking

[gridwalker]

HRT too

I think they'll go pull rod, cause of Williams gearbox. Or did they get their previous model?

HRT got last year's Williams box, though this really isn't the place for discussing it

[mith]

Until now I didn't see anything special. Livery is awful as always, but sidepods are tight, rear looks clean. They have also roll blade like Lotus.

Last year they've lost Key personnel (sorry for the pun ), so I wasn't expecting anything astonishing today.

Oh, and sorry for slight off topic in my previous post.

[Holm86]

Surely something is hiding in here?

That bump was there last year aswell ...

It's there to make a low pressure area. Sort of like a wing profile.

[humble sabot]

Looks like the focus this year is on development. Less interesting but necessary.

[forty-two]

I'm not sure where the exhausts are.. I'm guessing that they are at the back, but there is a spot at the front that looks highly suspicious.

The "tunnel" thing at the back looks like they might be aping Red Bulls's idea, while I agree, the shiny stuff at the front of the floor also looks like heat shielding.

Maybe they actually intend on putting their exhaust somewhere else entirely and these are just to throw everyone else off the scent? Or, perhaps they've simply allowed themselves the luxury of being able to try both positions?

Pull rod setup at the back I see, McLaren must be supplying them with a 2011 spec gearbox (or a modified 2010 one with pullrod attachment points)?

[FrukostScones]

for all who are interested:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2A4Rbpewj8&[/youtube]

[GTO]

Given their colors, 2010 livery was simple clean & more flowing. This looks like a pixalated version of it. Not too keen on it, hovever the colors do stand out from the crowd. Very tight, evolution of 2010 car. Nothing bold except for pullrod suspension, lack of central rear wing support & air box inlet. I thought this type of air box design was not allowed by FIA?

[RacingManiac]

The gist of it is FIA regulated the section area for the roll structure, so the actual "bladed" design like the Mercedes of last year was not legal anymore. But both Lotus and FI are running to that size so that it is still legal...

[perer]

A nice care despite the nose.... I preferred the sharp nose from early last year/Canada. The sidepods do look high but nicely undercut.

Btw they hired a seniore tyre specialist from Bridgestone called Jun Matsuzaki
Interview with him here: http://www.bridgestonemotorsport.com/Br ... +tyres.htm
That man knows about tyres , and here is hoping that they can make those tyres work, especially in qualifying which was some sort of traditional weak point of the team throughout the years.

[wesley123]

That 'Heat shielding' could as well as be what Audi now has been doing for years in the LMP's using metal shielding at the splitter which prevents damage due to debris etc. on the track. This is quite plausible because even IF it is heavier(which in Audi's case is not) the downside would be quite neglected due to this pece only being a few mm above the reference plane. There is no hole anywhere to be seen for the exhaust to exit so i have doubts with the FEE on the Force India

[King Six]

After abit of research, that metal lip on the floor near those side vanes, they were there on the VJM03 from launch. So they're...probably not some sort of precursor to an eventual FEE.

http://scarbsf1.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/vjm03.jpg

Most likely the exhausts are like the RB7, where the exhaust shaped carbon tube is at the rear of the car.

[forty-two]

That 'Heat shielding' could as well as be what Audi now has been doing for years in the LMP's using metal shielding at the splitter which prevents damage due to debris etc. on the track. This is quite plausible because even IF it is heavier(which in Audi's case is not) the downside would be quite neglected due to this pece only being a few mm above the reference plane. There is no hole anywhere to be seen for the exhaust to exit so i have doubts with the FEE on the Force India

Agreed that a metal part, perhaps even wafer thin would offer a degree of protection, and could be a quick-fit part for easy replacement, perhaps even during a slow pit-stop depending upon how it's anchored.

As for the lack of a visible exhaust exit, I wouldn't personally read too much into that, there could easily be a pipe inside the CF bodywork just waiting to be exposed when they're ready.

OR the trim might be there just to get some column (or web-thread) inches!