F1 Technical on Oppo - Korean Grand Prix

"Tim (Fractal Footwork)" (fractalfootwork) 11/06/2013 at 22:00 • Filed to: F1 Technical on Oppo, Korean Grand Prix, F1, Formula 1, Somers F1, OppositeLock

5

9

Welcome to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ! The one thing that separates Formula 1 from any other motorsport is the absurd level of engineering and aerodynamic advancement that the teams push on each other, and we are here to appreciate, discuss, and revel in the beauty of design on the current limits of speed.

Open discussions in the comments section are welcomed and promoted. I will post a few pictures that I've found interesting on a particular race weekend, and hopefully we'll get some great discussions stirring!

Korean Grand Prix

Red Bull

Note the tight packaging around the Red Bull's sidepods... Cool.

Mercedes

These tiny vertical shark fin like vanes adorning the front wing of the Mercedes chassis help keep the tire clag from getting stuck and ruining the aero efficiency of the wing.

If you are also wondering what that rounded cylindrical shaped object on top of the wing; it measures the tire temperature at the surface and relays that information back to the pits.

McLaren

Note the McLaren's lack of front wing complications relative to the Mercedes or Red Bull. The Woking based team is still trying to figure out the basic aerodynamics of their base front wing design in light of their relatively slow car.

[Select images from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ]

MrGuy > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 11/06/2013 at 22:16

1

Something that I found interesting is the underside of the front wings. They have strakes on them as well, just like diffusers do, which I can only assume is because they are in ground effect.

McLaren Mp4-28 on F1technical.net

For Sweden > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 11/06/2013 at 22:22

1

The one thing that separates Formula 1 from any other motorsport is the absurd level of engineering and aerodynamic advancement that the teams push on each other

Do you even WEC Bro?

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > For Sweden 11/06/2013 at 22:38

0

Thats true. Scarbs did a special on that once , and I was blown away. The lack of regulation compared to F1 leads to some crazy shit.

Front Diffuser Anyone?

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > MrGuy 11/06/2013 at 22:40

0

Check out what Lotus has done with theirs.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

MrGuy > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 11/06/2013 at 23:21

0

That's pretty intricate. I've been curious as to the effect of the wheels being steered on the front wing aerodynamics, so maybe that could explain why there is an advantage to such a complex design. Possibly Lotus simply has the resources to spend to reach a more optimized design. Who knows? Not me.

ThatOneGuyWhoHasAgReatIdea > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 11/07/2013 at 10:36

1

The Red Bull Racing videos 1-4 on youtube are pretty amazing. I can't quote it directly, but they make an average of 3,000 or 6,000 design changes and engineering modifications every week just to find 1 that might improve the car.

Matthew Gleeson > MrGuy 11/07/2013 at 14:33

0

I'm not sure. Lotus hasn't even paid Kimi yet and they are leaning on their finishing place in the Constructors Championship to help them develop a better car for the '14 season.

Matthew Gleeson > ThatOneGuyWhoHasAgReatIdea 11/07/2013 at 14:34

0

Yea, those videos were awesome, makes you appreciate what Vettel and the RBR Team have actually done over the years to be in the position they are currently in.

Matthew Gleeson > MrGuy 11/07/2013 at 14:37

0

But you are correct. The greater the down force on the Front Wing, the better the car will steer, or you can say that it creates an over-steer effect.