Technically Formula 1 - Jerez Testing Day 1

"Tim (Fractal Footwork)" (fractalfootwork) 01/29/2014 at 18:56 • Filed to: Technically Formula 1, F1 Technical on Oppo, Formula 1, Jerez, Testing, OppositeLock

5

23

Technical innovation is what makes Formula 1 so different from any other form of racing. The on track action is as much played out by the engineers and aerodynamicists as it is the drivers. We are here to admire, study, and discuss this beauty that exists on the ragged edge of what we think is possible, or at least what we thought was possible.

Discussions and questions are welcomed and encouraged in the comments section below.

Testing - Jerez, Spain

Red Bull

RB10 rear end detail.

The RB10 chassis is sporting a single central rear wing support that is mounted from the top of their engine cover bodywork, instead of going all the way down to the floor like other teams.

Red Bull have retained their flow modifiers/voracity generators despite the lack of a coanda-style exhaust.

The outlet for Red Bull's 'S-Duct' can be seen exiting the top of the nose, just before the bulkhead separation; the inlet is just below, on the underside of the nose.

Ferrari

Ferrari utilizing flow-viz paint on the front of their F14T, both on the nose, and on their front wing. this paint will flow with the air moving around the car and give the engineers a better understanding of how their aerodynamic parts are working around a circuit that computer and wind-tunnel models just can't quite replicate.

F14T rear-end detail.

Mercedes

Note the looped diffuser strake on the centerline of the W05 chassis; each team run different rear diffuser configurations.

Also note the W05's lack of rear cooling vents relative to the Toro Rosso chassis below.

McLaren

McLaren may be the keeper of a certain !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (2014's double diffuser, blown diffuser, coanda exhaust, f-duct, etc) . See if you can sort out what it is in the pictures below, before clicking the link.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso is one of the teams to utilize a Y75 winglet (aka monkey seat) above their exhaust outlet to try and flow the gasses up toward the underside of the rear wing. The blue and yellow stickers on the underside and supports of the monkey seat measure temperature; this way the team will make sure the carbon doesn't deform or melt.

Sauber

Sauber seem to have a relatively minimal front wing on their C33 chassis, as least for font-downforce sake.

C33 rear-end detail. the top of the diffuser looks to support some sort of gurney flap, though I can't be certain on the bodywork's purpose.

These new LED lights adorn all of the new 2014 chassis. Green means that the electrical systems are okay, and it is safe to approach the car. Red means that the electrical systems are in some sort of hazard, and it is not safe to approach the car in a normal fashion.

Force India

VJM07 rear-end detail. Force India also run a Y75 winglet, though the design supports only 1 element.

Williams

If you look closely enough, multi-element wing mirrors can be made out on the FW36 chassis.

Notice the undercut on the sidepod of the Williams chassis for routing the maximum amount of air back toward the top of the rear diffuser..

Caterham

The CT05 runs possibly the biggest sidepod inlets of the entire f1 paddock.

CT05 nose and front-wing detail. I am worried about the lift the underside of the thicker section of the Caterham's nose creates.

CT05 rear-end detail.

CT05 rear-end detail.

Caterham have made the switch to pull-rod style suspension.

[Select images from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , F1 Fanatic, and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ]

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:08

0

weener

UserNotFound > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:13

0

Attachment points for a Y75 winglet like Toro Rosso's?

Brian Silvestro > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:15

0

It's really cool that you're doing posts like these, keep at it. Also, I didn't know about that flowing paint for the aero testing, very interesting/cool.

Pedro Rafael > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:27

0

I don't know, I think Caterham's aerodick seems a bit fragile, looks like the wind will break it. Also it's ugly as hell.

Anima > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:36

1

It weird how the CT05 looks somehow more botched together.. It's still an amazing piece of engineering, but it just looks..less subtle.. Not just the frontwing but the entire car.

Same goes for the Williams.

Guess that's where the big money differences shows.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > UserNotFound 01/28/2014 at 17:40

0

I'm not sure what those are. I need a better picture.

Axel-Ripper > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:53

0

A few things that surprise me:

1.) I knew they didn't want the teams to fuck with the exhaust gasses, but DAMN that's strict as of yet.

2.) The Williams looks miles more basic than the other cars. Like to the point it really isn't funny.

3.) Surprised there isn't more Monkey seat usage. If you're going to screw with the exhaust its the only way.

Will be interesting to see what winds up working best.

McMike > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 17:55

0

F1 noses: Ranked

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

From earlier today.

McLarry > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 20:17

0

Wow, even after all this talk of crazy front-ends this year, that Caterham has got to be the weirdest...it doesn't even look aerodynamic to me.

bartlettab > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 21:10

0

I'm willing to bet that the air flowing off of the underside will pool with the air that the front wing sends around the inner side of the front tires and is directed at the oddly shaped keel/diffuser they've put down low between the two wheels (visible in the picture above). From there I'll guess that they'll generate a bit of downforce just behind the front wheels before sending the air into those massive sidepod inlets.

bartlettab > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/28/2014 at 21:11

0

funky keel/diffuser they've put behind that dolphin-like nose.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/29/2014 at 13:40

1

Force India, why do you run wets/intermediates? It is sunny and dry.

Wow.

Bad forecaster.

Such wrong.

Much tires.

wrblue11 > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/29/2014 at 20:40

0

im glad williams switched to the MB powerplant. looking for bottas to have a good year

tromoly > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/29/2014 at 21:51

0

If I'm reading this correctly, would this possibly function to detact air flow and reduce wind buffeting on the driver's helmet, i.e. throw air over the driver's head and into the rear wing through turbulence?

Somethingwittyer likes noisy > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 01/29/2014 at 22:01

0

Seriously, how the fuck is Caterham going to get any air to the diffuser with that nose. The CT05 looks hopeless. Between the nose and the sidepods, I wouldn't be surprised if this Caterhams final year. The car just seems way too incompetent.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > tromoly 01/29/2014 at 22:11

0

Not to my understanding.

From what I hear, it both creates a high pressure zone on top of the nose (downforce) using air from the bottom of the nose creating a low pressure zone beneath.

A minimum height for the bulkhead exists, this way with the S-duct the Red Bull engineers can also make the nose cone much skinnier.

TimGRedman > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/01/2014 at 18:08

0

Technical lockup

kieranrb > tromoly 02/02/2014 at 12:04

0

It's not to generate downforce exactly, it's to help direct air smoothly over the chassis. Skin friction is in essence the friction generated when a fluid (air in this case) comes into contact with a solid surface, by introducing a directed high flow close to the surface this effect is reduced significantly.

tromoly > kieranrb 02/02/2014 at 14:27

0

Right, the boundary layer increases as the surface length increases (and therefore skin friction increases), so by introducing the airflow it effectively turbulates the boundary layer a touch and mitigates the boundary layer. Sound right?

kieranrb > tromoly 02/02/2014 at 16:30

0

Yep. As far as my second year fluid dynamics goes, that's my understanding of how it works.

grahamrh808 > Somethingwittyer likes noisy 02/05/2014 at 00:22

0

I totally agree. Not only is it the ugliest car on the by a mile, it'll look extra ugly because it'll always be at the very back of the grid. It'll be their last season for sure, team owner/billionaire Tony Fernandes basically said as much

d3v > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/05/2014 at 07:38

0

Admit it, we're all thinking the same thing - that it spent it's morning with its snout up an anthill.

Tito > Tim (Fractal Footwork) 02/07/2014 at 01:15

0

I´m also worried about CT05 aerodynamic, that nose seams to generate massive amounts of lift. However I trust that even the slowest team from last year in F1 have more understanding of aerodynamics that a bunch of guys blogging on internet.

I like the design I think it´s very straight forward interpretation of the new regulations, I hope this guys to give us a surprise, for the good sake of K.Kobayashi that is.