220 replies to this topic

[Redliner]

After seeing that picture I now understand why Felipe Massa remarked upon it in the press conference

??? What'd he say

[Redliner]

Dude, that rear wing is TRICK!

Whitmarsh: Rivals will copy vent system



McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh expects his team's rivals to stop their complaints and instead start copying the radical 'venting' system that features on his car after it passed an FIA inspection and scrutineering for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

After intense intrigue in the Bahrain paddock ahead of the first race of the season about the unique concepts that McLaren has fitted to its car, Whitmarsh all but confirmed for the first time that his outfit was utilising an ingenious air duct through the cockpit.

Although the exact workings of the system are not known, and Whitmarsh cheekily suggested the car's airflow system was for 'cooling the driver', a clearer picture of what McLaren has done emerged over the course of the day as teams took a direct interest in the system.

It is suggested that air flows into the cockpit via a chimney, believed to be known inside the team as the 'F-vent', on the nose. The air is the channeled through the car and out of the rear end.

The air tunnel is believed, however, to have a hole in it that the drivers are able to block on the straights - using either their knees or elbows. When this hole is covered, the air pressure inside the vent is changed - and this helps stall the rear wing.

This design, allied to small slots in the rear-wing's upper plane that were the original focus of complaints from other teams, helps stall the wing at high speed - reducing drag and helping produce up to six miles per hour of extra straight-line speed.

Although some outfits privately believe that using the driver to influence the aerodynamics of the car in such a way is illegal, the FIA has given the McLaren the all-clear.

Whitmarsh said he doubted any rivals would consider protesting his team – and felt they would now simply embark on trying to copy what his team had done instead.

"People will look at what we have got on our car and I would imagine that most teams are now looking for how they would implement such a system," he told AUTOSPORT.

"I think there was a 'what is it?' question initially, then there was 'it can't be legal'. Now people are starting to understand it, there is 'how quickly can we implement it?' Most people are saying that it is something quite ingenious. This was a very creative and ingenious individual in our company who came up with the idea and we've developed it."

When asked if he had fears of a protest, Whitmarsh said: "From what I understand, there are no grounds for a protest.

"I don't think everyone yet understands the nature of the systems that are on our car. So if they put a protest in, it would potentially be on a wrong set of assumptions as to what we've got. So we will see."

McLaren's chances of holding onto the advantage it has got from the vent concept is boosted by the fact that teams this year have to homologate their chassis tubs – which means implementing the vent will not be easy.

Despite the homologation process, Whitmarsh still felt there was plenty of opportunity for rivals to introduce their own systems.

"If you are picking up on the inlet system, then I would imagine that for access reasons, firstly your nose box is approved and you'd have to re-test it if you wanted to put ducting through your nose, which you could do," he explained.

"But I'd also imagine that for access even just for pedal changes and various things in the front of the monocoque, ordinarily there are access panels that would give you the facility to put ducts in. I'm guessing, because I haven't looked. If you look on our car, there are a number of access panels that are in the homologated chassis and also the monocoque is homologated. You can change the nose."

He then added, in a reference to the fact that his team can claim the hole in the vent is simply to help driver comfort rather than for aerodynamic purposes: "If they wanted to increase the cooling to the driver, then they'd have to do that via an access hole that exists in the monocoque or through the nose."

Although the situation gives McLaren a huge advantage over its rivals, especially with no teams having managed to copy it so far, Whitmarsh was refusing to get carried away with his team's success.

When asked if he felt a bit smug about what had happened, he said: "I think I'll be smug – if that's the right expression – in Abu Dhabi if we win the championship. But I'm not going to be smug just yet. It's very difficult.

"We appear to be competitive but we're not complacent and it's certainly too early to be smug at the moment. We're here to win some races and then win a championship. Until we've done that, no-one in the team is going to feel happy with what has happened."

[_R_]

so that little vent, when blocked, stalls the air before hitting the rear wing and increases the speed by 6 mph?
who ever came up with that concept, give the man a raise...

[AErrorist]

Can't wait can't wait CAN'T FUCKING WAIT


DO WANT!!!

[Redliner]

so that little vent, when blocked, stalls the air before hitting the rear wing and increases the speed by 6 mph?
who ever came up with that concept, give the man a raise...

Why not make it less visible? I can imagine a few places you can pull air from without making it so "in your face"...

[_R_]

Why not make it less visible? I can imagine a few places you can pull air from without making it so "in your face"...

maybe that's the only place where it can stall the air for their configuration? maybe if they put it anywhere else, it would stall the air but only give them an extra 4mph in straight line speed?

I dunno man, I'm no fluid dynamasist by any stretch of the word, it looks like such a simple concept, but at the same time it's over my head...

[DrDickAction]

Why not make it less visible? I can imagine a few places you can pull air from without making it so "in your face"...

maybe that's the only place where it can stall the air for their configuration? maybe if they put it anywhere else, it would stall the air but only give them an extra 4mph in straight line speed?

I dunno man, I'm no fluid dynamasist by any stretch of the word, it looks like such a simple concept, but at the same time it's over my head...

Or it could be a trick, throw other teams off the scent, have them spend a hundred man-months trying to get a magical vent to work

Macca has been on the short end of every "questionable legality" gadget since the mass damper, maybe this is just a big fuck you to the other teams.

[_R_]

Or it could be a trick, throw other teams off the scent, have them spend a hundred man-months trying to get a magical vent to work

which team was it in the 80's that first developed ground effects but every time the car pulled into the pits, they'd cover like the engine area to fool everyone into thinking there was something going on there instead?

[vietlol]

Renault F1 Team today announced a major sponsorship agreement with HP, the global technology leader, for 2010 and 2011.

This new agreement will see significant HP branding appear on the Renault F1 R30 race cars from the 2010 Bahrain GP onwards.

Building from a successful technology relationship initiated in 2009, the new sponsorship agreement has three goals: to strengthen technology cooperation between the two companies; to promote their shared values of innovation, excellence and competition; and to increase HP brand awareness and customer engagement in developing markets.

http://www.renaultf1...as.html?lang=en


Jeez how many sponsors is Renot going to get? good on them!

[DrDickAction]

http://www.renaultf1...as.html?lang=en


Jeez how many sponsors is Renot going to get? good on them!

Fin looks better with the added logo...now if they could just change the endplate color.

[Redliner]

which team was it in the 80's that first developed ground effects but every time the car pulled into the pits, they'd cover like the engine area to fool everyone into thinking there was something going on there instead?

I remember reading about that - it was in the 70s, and it was between Niki Lauda's Ferrari and James Hunt's Helsenki(???) team

[TimzSI]

Mclaren.

I think it was Williams who did that original ground effects deal...

The Hammy/Jens homoance pics are killing me. Lock it up.

OMG START START START


(am I crazy, or does the Renault look like its sporting a pot leaf? They need to get the red out...LOL)

[DrDickAction]

I remember reading about that - it was in the 70s, and it was between Niki Lauda's Ferrari and James Hunt's Helsenki(???) team

You talking about Hesketh?

[Redliner]

You talking about Hesketh?

Lol

[TimzSI]

Hesketh was probably the coolest racing team ever. I hope it was them. lol.


that video is hilarious. de la rosa and Koby

[doublemeat]

Yeah yeah I'm excited, just like every new season. I bet the house on Kobayashi WDC.

But I have to say goddamnmadwackit that Ferrari bike Alonso has in that pic. I want one soooo bad.

[Nacho]

McLaren was up 1.5 on everyone, then BAM, Emoso out of nowhere!

[Nacho]

BAM Sutil out of nowhere.




Senna on track, but 16 seconds off pace.















.............in Sector 2 alone.

[vietlol]

any streams?

[vietlol]

whats up with the times?

oh they added the new section

I was gonna say...track is 1:30s

[vietlol]

anyone see the alguersuari spin/slid? kid is fucking lucky

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

wow.. really don't know what to make of the pace thus far.

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

looks like the copying has already begun...

http://www.autosport...php/id/13246548

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

it means the shitty trend of the shark fin is here to stay...for good

First off...

I had no idea Schumi was so short...

could just have been where they were standing.. in this shot he looks taller than emo.

http://www.autosport...php/id/13246523

[Redliner]

So if you're a rookie, do you step into a car like the HRT and Virgin cars, or do you wait it out and find a better ride?

I think these cars will kill their careers from the get-go...hell, look at Sutil