Technically Formula 1 - Bahrain Pre-Season Testing Day 7

"Tim (Fractal Footwork)" (fractalfootwork)
03/02/2014 at 15:11 • Filed to: Technically Formula 1, Technically F1, Pre-Season Testing, Formula 1, F1, OppositeLock

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.

For more technical intrigue, be sure to check out this year's !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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

Testing Day 11 - Bahrain

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Red Bull

DISCUSSION (49)

NoahthePorscheGuy > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:11

For any interested parties: Opposite Lock F1 Fantasy Game through the Castrol Edge GP Predictor. Completely Free:

http://gppredictor.com/league/join/id…

NoahthePorscheGuy > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:11

Kinja'd!!!

Classic Ferrari Power

NoahthePorscheGuy > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:12

Kinja'd!!!

The Infiniti Q100?

Whats that?

SamTheGeek > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:17

Kinja'd!!!

I like that green taillight on the Caterham. is it allowed, rules-wise?

SamTheGeek > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 16:17

I bet we find out tomorrow during Geneva.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > SamTheGeek
03/02/2014 at 16:19

Do you know what, I've never seen that go green before.

Perhaps it's connected to the updated-for-2014 led lights on the top of the roll-hoop that go green when the electrical systems are safe, and red when they are not.

Kurt Bradley > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 16:25

They had that branding on the rear wing last season too.

1963twostrokesaab > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:29

It's because the Swede Marcus is still a "novice" and he will have this light on until he gets his Super license.

doctorhoon > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:32

The other day I read that the color of the light has to do with the driver's license. Green = no super license IIRC.

TavshedFjols > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 16:39

Kinja'd!!!

For a second I thought the spoiler was broken and deformed in the center.

dirgle > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 17:20

I'm starting to get worried. It's is beginning to seem like a real possibility that not even half the field will finish the first race. It seems like there are still a lot of gremlins to work out. and time is up.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > dirgle
03/02/2014 at 17:21

Yeah, I'm most worried about the Renault-powered cars.

Veegee92 > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 17:51

Good thing it wasn't a classic Ferrari finale.

Menebrio > TavshedFjols
03/02/2014 at 18:37

Unlike the country, this one was design like that...

orakle44 > dirgle
03/02/2014 at 18:50

i think its great, F1 has been too predictable the past few years, im hoping Caterham or Marrusia get some points this year.

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 18:51

Kinja'd!!!

WE HAVE OUR WINNER. GREEN CAR GREEN REAR LIGHT EVERYBODY CAN GO HOME NOW

zzoldan > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 18:53

A marketing exercise.

dekuNukem > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 18:59

Kinja'd!!!

Brosenkranz > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 19:17

I bet when we find out we'll still be scratching our heads.

hike > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 19:18

I believe it is just what they call the F1 car for Infiniti Marketing purposes.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/race-ca…

dirgle > orakle44
03/02/2014 at 20:07

Thats one way to find a silver lining. Predictable, this season will not be.

pirates-ecu > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 20:13

beat me too it

Jonathon Klein > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 20:30

We should have combined our resources, you with your analysis and me with my live updating. That would have been better for the both of us.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > Jonathon Klein
03/02/2014 at 20:31

not sure how thought.

Jonathon Klein > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/02/2014 at 20:32

Possibly this

Kinja'd!!!

CaptainStu > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 20:41

I'm really pulling for Williams! Now that my least favorite south american driver has been replaced with my most favorite south american driver - Valtteri Bottas.

j/k Felipe

DeltawingGothamDeserves > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 20:42

Ya know, this is the first F1 season I have followed to this level, and I am liking it. I never knew people were this observant about it. I asumed it was like NASCAR, You just show up and race. Thats what I thought Grand-Am or Tudor was like too.

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > Jonathon Klein
03/02/2014 at 20:43

I will be doing this thought the year. If you are too, do you want me to make you a title image similar to mine?

CaptainStu > dirgle
03/02/2014 at 20:52

Whaaa? This is the best possible thing! Redbull will not be winning a single race - for at least 3 races. And not only that but if you enjoyed not knowing what kind of tire strategy teams were using all last year, now you'll have no clue what the hell MGU-K, MGU-H, ES, TC are doing every corner let alone what they mean!

Slo-Z > CaptainStu
03/02/2014 at 21:20

Felipe FTW! He or Ham (or Grosjean. Damnit, I like the fellow, for whatever reason, as slim as his chances might be) would make my year if any of them won the WDC.

CaptainStu > Slo-Z
03/02/2014 at 21:24

Even though it would be like Jenson's championship, it would make MY year if Massa would get the one he lost to Hamilton.

RatMR2 > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 22:33

It's difficult to confirm from the angle shown, but the image of the C33 engine failure looks like a good indicator of the airflow off the Y75 winglet. It's interesting to see just how much that flow is angled upwards.

Jonathon Klein > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/02/2014 at 22:57

Thanks, but my portion is done for now at least. I didn't see anyone covering the test as in live updates so I just started doing them. A few people did ask if I was going to do them during the races, but I just said at that point you can find a live stream somewhere.

insanityphr33k > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 00:33

seems like every team still has a few bugs to work out. May actually give me a reason to watch this season. we shall see.

lastresortasicantmakeanothername > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 01:58

Kinja'd!!!

isnt there a ban on bodywork and aero devices behind the exhaust exit ?

lastresortasicantmakeanothername > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 01:59

Kinja'd!!!

with more red bull logos then the Red bull racing team

SukhoiRomantic > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/03/2014 at 03:15

They did it last year as well. As Zzoldan says, it's just a marketing excercise - it's Infiniti giving their nomenclature to the Red Bull F1 car, ie: you won't see any car badged Q100 in the showroom.

thegregorius > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 04:21

Kinja'd!!!

Won't they just show us the (presumed) Martini livery already? Godammit.

richwl > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 08:22

Kinja'd!!!

Now I see McDonald arches!!

jnecr > TavshedFjols
03/03/2014 at 08:33

Not to nitpick, but it would be incorrect to call these "spoilers." These are truly wings that create negative lift (downforce).

reciprocating > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 11:24

RedBull is sandbagging! Watch for a podium in Melbourne!

Their straight line speed is a bit low, but they have been passing on the outside during testing. They still have a superior corner speed. In a race where fuel flow is limited, the less you slow down, the less you need to speed back up, that is a wining strategy! They ought to maintain a longer pace like that then some rivals.

Unfortunately, this season will be dominated by race strategy( which kinda sucks) engineering (which is awesome!( but not better drivers...

reciprocating > RatMR2
03/03/2014 at 11:26

Often the rear wing element is designed to complement the rear underfloor diffuser just as much as produce downforce on its own.

Maxxuman > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
03/03/2014 at 14:03

Kinja'd!!!

I hadn't realised that heat buildup in the wheel and tyre were a problem. Usually you only hear about heat in tyres when there isn't enough of it, after a pitstop or restart when grip suffers as a result. Does heat in the tyres hasten wear?

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > Maxxuman
03/03/2014 at 14:50

Yes, but it is sort of a lesser of two evils for the strategists. Either they run the tires hot and go quickly risking severe tire deg, or they run them cold and lose pace.

More or less.

There is an optimal tire temperature that all of the teams will know by the end of testing. Each team will try and keep that tire in that optimal temp as long as they can.

TavshedFjols > jnecr
03/03/2014 at 19:24

I was a bit confused by your comment ("Wait, aren't those the same thing?") but then I looked it up. Did not know that spoilers for cleaning up the airflow and for creating downforce were different. Learn something partially new almost every few days!

RatMR2 > reciprocating
03/03/2014 at 23:20

Absolutely - the rear wing and rear of the floor are too close to one another to avoid interaction, and the low pressure area behind the car that is created by the wing has a significant effect on the loading of the floor. As you are saying, the entire aerodynamic package is heavily interdependent.

Kinja'd!!!

It's interesting that the flames from the Sauber photo show what you would otherwise require flow visualisation techniques to see in terms of the flow around the rear of the car, and just how heavily the flow is distorted in this area - and it shows why it is so difficult to follow another car closely.

TwoScoopsOfPig > 1963twostrokesaab
03/04/2014 at 09:33

TIL. Thanks!

TwoScoopsOfPig > NoahthePorscheGuy
03/04/2014 at 09:48

Gonna be a complete toss up in Oz. Lots of engine/cooling problems to work out and I'm not sure how the fuel situation will hold up. I put in my picks anyway; we'll see what happens.

Thanks for putting this out there!

TwoScoopsOfPig > Menebrio
03/04/2014 at 10:12

I see what you did there.