McLaren admit again “We don’t understand how Ferrari and Red Bull flexi-wings work”

[steelstallions]

http://www.mibz.com/17031-mclaren-f1-team-we-dont-understand-how-ferrari-and-red-bull-flexi-wings-work.html

McLaren was the first team to announce they want to adopt the rivals’ design, but Paddy Lowe, the Engineering Director, admitted that until now he didn’t understand how the new flexible front wing works.

“I’ve seen a lot of pictures on this subject. We believe, and we’re not alone, that two cars – Ferrari and Red Bull – have wings existing at a much lower position than we’re able to deliver. So there is a phenomenon that we’re seeing. It may be entirely legitimate, it may not be. We just don’t understand it,” said the Brit during a video-conference.

It seems that the lowering of the front wing might be owed to the car’s settings, but Lowe thinks that is something else.

“There’s a difference of a reasonably large degree, so it’s difficult to explain by relatively subtle effects such as fuel weight, tyre pressure or differences in end-of-straight or high-speed set-up. These things affect the car to a relatively small degree, much smaller than the differences that we’ve seen in the pictures. So what we’re doing at the moment is working really hard to try to understand it and see, if it’s worth performance to us, whether we can also deliver that,” Lowe also said.

:rotfl:rotfl, Hard work when Stepney can't help, isn't it?

On a good note its nice that we have something at last the competition are after, was beginning to think we were left behind though RB did have their version first.

[Hermann]

In other words: 'we don't understand it and we can't copy it, so we have to ask FIA to ban it'

[Naeem]

Its complete rubbish. Flexi wings were around an absolute age ago. They just take time and resource to produce so McLaren are just trying to cover themselves from embarrassment.

[Ant Raikkonen]

Blimey, Mclaren are clueless AND honest! :-D

[epiclyaddicted]

Blimey, Mclaren are clueless AND honest! :-D

No one has ever said that before! :-D

[REDARMYSOJA]

:rotfl:rotfl, Hard work when Stepney can't help, isn't it?


:lol:lol:lol:thumb

[F1ferrarifanUSA]

Meccas = Hypocrits

[Grillo]

I'm clueless too. :-(

:lol

[Agron]

Cheers to them, to remain at least that clueless until the season end.
If Hamilton or Button win their second WDC I might as well erase the planet-F1 and autosport forums from my favourites, will be difficult to read about drivers other than them without surfing through a ton of trolling and brit flag waving.

[racingbradley]

:rotfl:rotfl, Hard work when Stepney can't help, isn't it?

Ha Ha :rotfl:rotfl:rotfl:rotfl
Now they need FIA to co-operate with them. If Macca hasn't got it/cannot "copy" then it has to be illegal;-);-);-)

[Aussie]

Well they have the f duct it's 100x better then our one

[Hornet]

Blimey, Mclaren are clueless AND honest! :-D

McLaren and honest in the same sentence :crazy



j/k :-G

[brembo man]

Red Bull and Ferrari are achieving this flexing effect by layering the carbon fibre in paralle fashion, which allows the structure to flex to a degree, rather than layering it perpendicular, which is the norm for maximum rigidity. Every millimetre is about one prcentage point of downforce at the front although it also improves the rear So 25-30mm of verticle lowering of the endplates is one second per lap which is fairly substantial. Hopefully McLaren fans aren't reading this !:rotfl

[FerrariF60]

it looks like starting from SPA as well as continuing at MONZA the FIA will tighten their screwtineering (spelling) programme even more.
so it looks like Red Bull will have to do something with their WING/BODY flexing design if they are to pass those tests...well maybe even Ferrari...:-E hopefully that won't be the case for us...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86109

[Agron]

Are they going to repeat the tests until those fail? :lol
What a joke really, and to think McLaren got away with their stupid f-duct and brawn with his ddd, both so legal the FIA agreed to ban them in 2011.

Almost seems like being english increases your chances of getting away with anything, thankfully at least the FIA is consistent with the driver's penalties no matter where they are from, for example Ham... oh dear.

[mad_ani]

www.gpupdate.net/en/f1.../teams-agree-to-ban-double-diffusers/

THE FIA did not ban them..

FOTA ...the teams agreed to ban it..and pushed for a rule change////

both F duct and DDD were well within the rules.....pretty much like Ferrari's wheel fairings and the multi-hole single slit gills for cooling...

[aroutis]

www.gpupdate.net/en/f1.../teams-agree-to-ban-double-diffusers/

THE FIA did not ban them..

FOTA ...the teams agreed to ban it..and pushed for a rule change////

both F duct and DDD were well within the rules.....pretty much like Ferrari's wheel fairings and the multi-hole single slit gills for cooling...There was a FIA hearing when DDD was introduced, where DDD was deemed LEGAL.

That is what Agron is talking about, not the decision made by FoTA to ban them come next year.

[mad_ani]

Precisely....thats what I have replied back...the FIA had no initial intention to ban DDD for next year

FOTA have pushed for rule changes for reverting back to SDD and also banning the driver opeated F duct

[Brakefade]

I don't get this FOTA thing. It made sense when Nazi Max was in power, but now it's just doomed to fail IMO. Sooner or later one of the lower teams will use one of the aforementioned "banned by gentleman's agreement" devices, and they will beat on the big teams and FOTA will fall like a house of cards after that.

[Greig]

Well there was a gentleman agreement not to stall the rear wing, guess who broke that.....

[mad_ani]

Well there was a gentleman agreement not to stall the rear wing, guess who broke that.....

Highly doubt it...rear wings were allowed to flex and close the slot gap.effectively stalling the rear wing...Hence FIA specified 1cm vertical gap between the 2 element rear wing...

[Greig]

Highly doubt it...rear wings were allowed to flex and close the slot gap.effectively stalling the rear wing...Hence FIA specified 1cm vertical gap between the 2 element rear wing...

Doubt all you like, Bob Bell of Renault spoke quite clearly how there was an agreement to not stall the wing....

[scuderia_nano]

::lol:lol:lol

[F310B]

Well there was a gentleman agreement not to stall the rear wing, guess who broke that.....

Probably some team that a "gentlemen's agreement" didn't apply to :-P