Sport The Formula 1 Thread

[kiroquai]

[Nicky]

it looks pretty mean in the promo video.

[wev]

The step doesn't look as harsh in the video, but the camera's all over the place so its difficult to tell.

[Nicky]

i dunno, it looks quite severe in some shots, but also looks like its some sort of air inlet.

[JPR]

It's pretty severe but I think like Lotus the dark colours hide it somewhat, also RBR being RBR it's not just a simple slope.

[wev]

Yeah just seen that, reminds me of the McLaren F-Duct somewhat (which I know isn't legal, but wouldn't be surprised if Newey's found a way to intergrate something similar).

[Nicky]

[myoozikk]

Bull-duct?

[Dudley]

Interesting to note Total has gone red now.

--

Lotus were a shame, the 109 was a superb car but they had zero money to finish. If the Italian Grand Prix in 1994 had gone just a little bit different maybe things would have changed.

[Meers]

Ok. Why exactly did they do that to the noses, again? And why does the McLarry not have it?

[wev]

Ok. Why exactly did they do that to the noses, again? And why does the McLarry not have it?

It's to make sure the noses are lower, to prevent someone getting poked in the eye, ala Schumacher at Abu Dhabi in 2010. The Mclaren doesn't have it as their car had a low profile anyway.

[Meers]

Clever work from Larry then. So now everyone gets throat poked instead?

[kiroquai]

[kiroquai]

There's a bit of debate at the moment about it. Gary Anderson reckons it is, although if so he's not sure what it's for yet!

Adrian Newey might have just found this year's F-Duct... the Hump Duct.

[wev]

Saw someone theorising the antanae on the front appear to split the entrance to the duct, and that split could continue inside, taking two channels of air through the car and onto the rear wing.

[JPR]

Shame it wasn't a proper launch where some photographer could sneak up and stick their fingers in to see. Even though it's hard to tell properly from the pictures I assume it is, just because it would surely disturb the airflow if it wasn't.

[mexos]

Looks like it. Driver cooling instead of from the nose?

also... hi res photoshopped media shots

http://ow.ly/i/rJEJ/original

http://ow.ly/i/rJEQ/original

[mexos]

The RB paint sceme works a lot better with the step. The plain-ness / flat colour of some of the other cars (especially Ferrari) just accentuates the uglyness - where as here it's almost disguised. It falls into the background surrounded by the decals.

[kiroquai]

Yeah, I quite like it. Plus there are bits of it that are really intriguing.

Supposedly Charlie Whiting is at Jerez this week as there has been rumours of plenty of legality protests and questions. This could be fun!

[JPR]

I'd have thought with Newey involved something complicated like that is more than driver cooling, he barely likes to allow cooling for the engine as it is.

Are those actually shots, they look more like something done on the computer, must be massively Photoshoped at least?

[kiroquai]

Saw someone theorising the antanae on the front appear to split the entrance to the duct, and that split could continue inside, taking two channels of air through the car and onto the rear wing.

Having looked at it again, and then looked at the divider on the floor panel, I am wondering if the air is getting split by the aerial, channelled into the duct and then down through the chassis towards the floor...

... edit: no, according to ScarbsF1 on Twitter:

No its either an aero trick to keep the flow attached to the nose or the driver cooling inlet

[JPR]

A few pictures of the car in the wild, I do think if you can ignore the nose it is a really good looking car, such a shame we're stuck with it. Does look as if the number will be put on the step which does seem to go a little way to softening it.

Love the picture.

[marsh]

Ugliest selection of race cars ever. Even the indycar looks better than this lot. Sport ruined. All joking aside, isn't the air just going to hit the step and get launched clear of the car?

I think Whiting is off to Jerez because of the rear of the Mclaren rather than the front. Although they've now said the car is a plastic mock up and won't be anything like the one at the first race, which incidently, I'll not be watching :/

[tyler]

If the steps are a safety feature, what's different with the McLaren that allows them not to have one?

edit: Apologies, asked a few posts up:

It's to make sure the noses are lower, to prevent someone getting poked in the eye, ala Schumacher at Abu Dhabi in 2010. The Mclaren doesn't have it as their car had a low profile anyway.

I actually quite like the look of some of them too...

[kiroquai]

The step isn't the safety feature - the lower nose height forward of the front wheels is. McLaren's chassis is low to start with so they can have a smooth transition between it and the nose; the other teams have higher chassis and so as to not affect the air channelling under the car they're keeping their chassis high and having the rather abrupt step down to the regulation nose height.

EDIT: Seems the teams are being allowed a filming lap/installation lap.

[reani_]

I considered Lotus to be one of the "prettier" ones... but oh dear was I wrong

Sauber doesn't seem to hide it

[wev]

only just noticed the anti-dandruff ad on the Lotus

[Dudley]

^^ Hey at least they have a sponsor that isn't their owner or one of the drivers this year.

EDIT: Seems the teams are being allowed a filming lap/installation lap.

So long as you're on "demo" spec tyres I believe you can do 50km largely whenever.

[SeanR]

[myoozikk]

God i hate the noses! I hope the Mclaren is fast so we can look at that all season.