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When does Lotus' DDRS become a running joke?


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#1 Topsu

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Posted 10 May 2013 - 20:58

I'm in no case a technical expert when it comes to F1 research and development, but isn't Lotus focusing its efforts in the wrong place when they seemingly have no idea how to get the DDRS working properly. When was this idea introduced, mid-2012? It's amazing how they just stick with the bulking inlets on the sides of the airbox. It has to cause drag and interfere with the rear wing, even if just a little. Can't they take the DDRS of on weekends when they are not using it (which is every weekend)? Are they planning on using DDRS only on some tracks where it works the best or what? That's really the only good explanation I can think of.

I guess this comes down a lot to the testing rules. It's a shame the innovation is held back.

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#2 SpaMaster

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Posted 10 May 2013 - 21:18

What makes you think they are spending that much resources into it and wasting it?

#3 Cool Beans

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 00:41

It already is a joke within Lotus fans. Although a light hearted, not a mean joke.
They're losing time every single race with turbulent flow right at the crucial rear wing with those huge ears that do nothing but are blocked every single week. Team like Ferrari and Red Bull have shown you don't need to integrate the scoop, which is just a carbon fibre tube, into the chassis. Yet Lotus has them on, even does straight line tests and doesn't bother to do the 'calibration' on it, rather saving it for a friday where you'll waste and entire session noticing it still doesn't work.

The amount of time and performance they've sacrificed for it is getting close to the point of 'cut your losses'. Getting a few tenths is starting to look like a really bad deal for lugging that **** around wasting fridays for two years testing it.

#4 pingu666

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 01:00

ugly too

#5 santababy

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 01:35

Guess it will not happen....Allison is bringing it to Ferrari. :p

#6 0thecougar

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 03:16

I wonder if the DDRS is possibly a decoy?
Who really knows where those inlets lead to? Maybe it's been seen and explained. But I've heard of things like this done before, keeping people looking at the wrong thing.
Lotus are doing really well considering their budget. Maybe there's something trick that we don't know about?

#7 Topsu

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 07:57

What makes you think they are spending that much resources into it and wasting it?

As I said, I have no idea how much resources this kind of development takes, but it's not free. Mostly my point is, why do they keep the inlets on the car even when they don't use the DDRS? I presume they still are going to use it, but soon it will be a year coming.

#8 SpaMaster

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 08:09

As I said, I have no idea how much resources this kind of development takes, but it's not free. Mostly my point is, why do they keep the inlets on the car even when they don't use the DDRS? I presume they still are going to use it, but soon it will be a year coming.

Do you know all the details of the inlet? Are you sure it is hampering them?

#9 Jovanotti

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 08:16

Afaik the thing is integrated in the chassis, that's why you can't just take it off.

#10 muramasa

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 08:22

I wonder if the DDRS is possibly a decoy?
Who really knows where those inlets lead to? Maybe it's been seen and explained. But I've heard of things like this done before, keeping people looking at the wrong thing.
Lotus are doing really well considering their budget. Maybe there's something trick that we don't know about?

havent followed on that thing, but that's what I'd think too.

If that bulge has absolutely no use, it's pretty easy, probably easiest thing to do, to remove it or make the bulge detachable or the air intake section exchangeable.
So the bulge as current form most likely has some function. if not, then I'm interested in why it cannot be made as detachable/exchangeable.



#11 olliek88

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 08:25

Afaik the thing is integrated in the chassis, that's why you can't just take it off.


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#12 SealTheDiffuser

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 08:40

maybe it is just a red herring? or two?

#13 Jovanotti

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 08:48

:lol: :up:

#14 Shiroo

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 09:07

If it would be any disadvantage it would be removed long time ago. It might have 2nd effect or it is providing air somehow different to the back.

They changed chasis already, they could easly bring one or two without these ears. So it need to have 2nd effect or it doesn't change anything at all :x

#15 Pitlane

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 09:32

The hole seems bigger then what we saw from the picture with the open flaps, maybe they have a channel on the inside to those flaps. Would be a smart way to hide that they got it working :-)

#16 Jackmancer

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 11:37

Reality:

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#17 Opaque

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 11:49

That thing must cost something in lap time. Funny fact: Only Raikkonen has tested it. Someone might ask the question, could someone better known for their car development abilities have told them it's not going to work from the get-go.

#18 SpaMaster

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 11:50

That thing must cost something in lap time. Funny fact: Only Raikkonen has tested it. Someone might ask the question, could someone better known for their car development abilities have told them it's not going to work from the get-go.

Wake up. There is a reason why Lotus have become suddenly championship-contenders ever since Raikkonen joined. He is the best car developer out there.

#19 Trust

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 11:53

That thing must cost something in lap time. Funny fact: Only Raikkonen has tested it. Someone might ask the question, could someone better known for their car development abilities have told them it's not going to work from the get-go.

I predict from the get-go, that you'll be banned soon my friend. :wave:

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#20 SUPRAF1

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 11:55

I remember hearing from someone (maybe Gary Anderson?) that small curved surfaces on an F1 car don't really produce noticeable drag because its insignificant compared to the massive drag generated by the surface of the tyres. I think he was replying to someone's question asking whether having the step on the nose was an aerodynamic disadvantage.

Edited by SUPRAF1, 11 May 2013 - 11:55.


#21 turssi

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 12:19

Around Singapore last year.

#22 Wander

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 14:10

Yes, it's a joke. I'm not really expecting them to ever run it at this point.

#23 boldhakka

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 15:03

Removing them will throw of all their aero correlation and calliberation they've already done with them on.

#24 Ragingjamaican

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 18:09

Yes, it is a bit of a joke.

It's nearly a year now and they haven't perfected the system, not even ran it in a race, while a some of their competitors have had something similar and introduced it last year.

#25 Puhoon

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 18:57

Yes, it is a bit of a joke.

It's nearly a year now and they haven't perfected the system, not even ran it in a race, while a some of their competitors have had something similar and introduced it last year.


As far as I know, no team has run DRD in quali or race.

#26 SpaMaster

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Posted 11 May 2013 - 19:05

Yes, nobody ran passive DRS last year. What Red Bull did was still the active qualy version.

Making fun of Lotus passive DRS system is childish. It absolutely does not matter whether they actually run the system. They are again quite competitive this year and are impressive in their own right. You can't go around saying that team did not develop this, this team did not develop that etc. Lot of teams try lot of stuff they do not work or those happen to be less effective than what others do. Just because Lotus tried it in their car does not mean they are bound to run with them soon.

Edited by SpaMaster, 11 May 2013 - 19:09.