Looking at this pic, front wheel covers are also new (on the previous pic).

Yep, there's still a bit of flow-vis on it.

I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren raced with flow vis on. Good way of keeping at least some cars behind us.
Oh man.

You might be surprised.


Its a bit big to be a conventional gurney flap, but by utlising blockage effects, they are inducing a larger effective displacement on the flow going over the top of the diffuser = improved upper floor downforce. It also has a larger turbulence level, and a increased vertical velocity component at diffuser exit/end point.


The added turbulence may help with entrainment of underfloor air in the diffuser wake, further increasing massflow rates under the car = improved under floor downforce.


Of course, there is a large drag penalty on the front side of the vertical plate, which is offset somewhat by the base pressure on the back of it.



What happens in the wake influences what happens upstream. Its something many forget.

They've been watching Top Gear (specifically where Hammond, Clarkson & May had to make Police interceptors)... They are taking May's idea one step further as they realise F1 cars do not have wipers.

Fair enough, but it seems to be literally a plate blocking off a hole that looks remarkably like Brawn's. It seems too coincidental for that blockage to also be a downforce creating device.

We shall see, anyway.

I say they should race with it uncovered, it might be that these type of diffusers are going to be latter declared illegal but points gained in Melbourne later declared void, but if McLaren are going to be running near the back anyway, is it really going to be a big deal?

As they saying goes, there are more than 2 ways of skinning a cat.



I can assure you, the same definitely applies to aerodynamics.

armchair engineers

Yes you can see track though the gap in the middle, it's scoop-shaped like the Brawn, plus it's too tatty for McLaren to actually race it. Now that the DD diffusers have passed scrutineering, watch that space...

The more I read Lewis and McLaren downplaying Australias results, the more I think they're just putting on a show...

i think you might be right, they even cleared the area in front, for better flow, and then it just hits a wall, but this is pure speculation on my part, dont know the specific aerodynamics.

Who?

Me?

was kidding, i like the insight

further to make this large void in front of the diff is just not something you do, i think. Gearboxes are one of the components taking the longest time to make, and we are no talking about a week

His cruel cat skinning sideline aside, i've read quite a few Kilcoo posts on F1technical, they're always really informative and spot on. Then again so is Scarbs and he thinks that it is an interim diffuser hiding a double decker. Who knows what's going on!?

Now the Fia have declared the DD diffusers legal and the cat (probably skinless thanks to Kilcoo) is firmly among the pigeons. Guess we'll have to wait till practice to find out...only 12 hours to go!

Thats what I had thought as well - whats the lead time - 6 months or so?

i dont know, but i can remember reading from different articles from F1 personnel, that a gearbox takes a long long time compared to other components,

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73915

Stewards rejected a protest, now it's time for Gloryfusser.

x

Problem for McLaren is that even with a magical diffusor, they will still be low on downforce.

how did u see in front of the diffuser???
are u a FIA steward

how does making a new Gear box take months?

IF it exists. IF it works.
Yours, clutching at straws.

The lead time to get a new gear-box case casted would be quite a few weeks

Not necessarily so, let's wait until (if) it hits the track. I have a feeling they might have been prepared for this.

You forgot the fact diffusers introduce (a lot of) downforce; better diffuser = more downforce.

it is comon knowledge if you follow F1 and the technical aspect of it, and has done so in 10years, that the gearbox casing which is also part of the rear crash structure takes the longest time to produce, as many F1 personnel has stated in the past, in different articles, anything else

Lewis two days ago:

Hamilton is confident those problems are now behind them and says he is determined to lead the way again.

"My hunger to win a second title is as great as for the first," he said.

"I can't wait to get into the season now. I want to win more, be more consistent."

Lewis today:

"We'll have pretty much the same people challenging for the title as last year - except for us obviously,"

What's changed? Does anyone think they're just lowering expectations so much so that a midfield finish isn't viewed as a disaster or do we really think that the MP-24 is going to be scrapping for 15/16th place with the Toro Rosso's and Force India?

It's called irony.

Martin to his engineers, "Alright boys, get your hacksaw and cut that panel which covers our diffusor"

The gearbox is the most complicated part to design after the engine. The teams routinely begin work on the gearbox even up to a year before it hits the track. Feel free to look up past quotes from teams' technical personnel. The same has been true year-in-year-out for the past decade.

Just to be pedantic.......

The "gearbox" is only the housing for the gears.

Irony, in the sense that the actual meaning is in opposition to the literal meaning?

So you're suggesting that he's saying they will be challenging for the title and that all the Mclaren press releases in the last two days where they've said things like they'll be qualifying around 15th and we'll lucky to get a point are actually ironic statements that means they'll be qualifying first and collecting big points? Wow, normally I'm smarter than that and can spot irony, sarcasm etc a mile off. Silly me, you absolutely must be right. (see what i did there? )

looks to me like the piece that fills the defuser bulge is a the same piece as the lip/gurny type thing on the rest of the defuser, like a P shape but on its side

Yes I was trying to work that out. I think Scarbs is saying that it stops short of the ends, like a skin perhaps, I think we can see on the right hand side of the hires pic a line where it ends. Hard to be sure but I'm imagining when it's pulled off the centre will be open but the flange along the top will still be there, one layer below.

maybe there was a team meeting in btw and the engineers were like dude, 'car is still shite...no championship for u this season' :\

You can see a change of pattern in the carbon fiber on the left.. that lip will come right off with the cover in the middle and they'll slap on the good stuff there over the diffuser..

http://premium.f1-live.com/f1/photos-hires.../diapoa_004.jpg

I have no doubt that he is, I was purely arguing from the basic standpoint of other evidence (supposedly altered areas leading into this point to clear space) pointing towards there being something more going on. I can't imagine that this design is better than the sort of layout that Ferrari has (which McLaren had originally too), when it's so obviously bodged together and un-final in appearance. It sounds like it's a skeleton at the moment with just another part to put on to complete it. But, like I said, kilcoo no doubt knows far far more about the aerodynamic aspects than I do, so if he says that that can produce downforce, I'd believe him.

With regards to the scrutineering aspect - do they check cars regularly over the weekend, allowing new parts to be put on? I assume they do, but if not it would seem that this diffuser is indeed it for now.

Yeah, sure. He simply said what he was asked to say by PR guys.

Oh God. Tis' a sad day when an Englishman employs the American popular incorrect definition of 'Irony'.

If they make a change they can be scutinized again.

A simple question, why McLaren didn't protest the diffusor design by BGP?

that basically is the giveaway

Because they'll run a similar one.

James Allen says this is because of Mercedes. Make of that what you will.

I'm putting myself on the side of them changing it for friday. But I don't think it's clear cut.

i hope you are right but we will soon see in the near futre

im not sure, i think the cover will come off. I still think they have big problems though. Haugs remarks are just to negative. Although the apparent new gearbox housing could point towards, a planned upgrade. I cant wait

Oh yes, sort of smudged, same place as on the right side in fact. That has to come off, to reveal ....

I think it was grandprix.com that said they already presented a similar design to scrutineering.


**yep here it is

interesting....

Justice is on the way