official F1 World Championship 2012 Thread

[monkey13]

They aren't strictly aerodynamic parts - they are the camera mountings. As far as I know, the teams can choose to mount them anywhere they like on the nose, so in their case they've decided to put them right at the front.

Oh yeah I had forgotten about the camera mountings. I thought they had to be as small as possible and have no impact on aerodynamics. There must be a reason they have stuck them out there right on the front. It must make a difference to the aerodynamics. I wonder if there will be some controversy about this.

Ah that makes more sense about the noses. I suspect then that McLaren is the only ones who have a thin enough bulkhead ready then. The others are waiting until the have to do it. I guess the benefits of more air going underneath outweighs it hitting the step. Unless the other teams couldn't redesign their bulkheads and suspensions in time for this season and are having to do the best with what they have.

[Fourjays Veteran]

Oh yeah I had forgotten about the camera mountings. I thought they had to be as small as possible and have no impact on aerodynamics. There must be a reason they have stuck them out there right on the front. It must make a difference to the aerodynamics. I wonder if there will be some controversy about this.

Ah that makes more sense about the noses. I suspect then that McLaren is the only ones who have a thin enough bulkhead ready then. The others are waiting until the have to do it. I guess the benefits of more air going underneath outweighs it hitting the step. Unless the other teams couldn't redesign their bulkheads and suspensions in time for this season and are having to do the best with what they have.

I think the camera mountings are a standard shape/size. If you look at the one located on the Sauber's engine cover, it appears to be the same. Last year's Red Bull had them right at the end of the nose as well: http://www.racecar-e...011/01/RB7a.jpg

From what I understand of the reasoning on the noses, you are right. As McLaren were close to 2012 legal it was a question of lowering the nose by a few centimetres - plus the rest of the car was already designed around a low nose so it isn't a big deal. Everyone else would need to lower the nose considerably, which would require a complete redesign of the whole car as they're based around this high-nose concept.

I still can't get my head around how unrefined the step on the Ferrari's nose looks though...

[monkey13]

I think the camera mountings are a standard shape/size. If you look at the one located on the Sauber's engine cover, it appears to be the same. Last year's Red Bull had them right at the end of the nose as well: http://www.racecar-e...011/01/RB7a.jpg

I think I must have just been subconsciously filling those away before. Must be the new nose designs making them look more prominent because they are so thin. Just doesn't look like they are the exact same pods on all the cars. Even though they have to be.

[philcruicks]

BBC has a good analysis of the McLaren and the difference between it and the step noses.

but yeah as fourjays has said it is to do with a regulation change and airflow...the the reg is not just for a T-Bone impact its also to try and stop cars climbing ontop of another like Webber did.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/16864721

[monkey13]

BBC has a good analysis of the McLaren and the difference between it and the step noses.

but yeah as fourjays has said it is to do with a regulation change and airflow...the the reg is not just for a T-Bone impact its also to try and stop cars climbing ontop of another like Webber did.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/16864721

Interesting take on it. I hope he is wrong and the McLaren does make a difference. Be nice to see someone else leading the pack instead of everyone following Red Bull.

[philcruicks]

RB8 revealed, another step nose.

http://www.redbullra...021243158945543

[monkey13]

Certainly the best looking of the stepped nose brigade.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I wonder what this does...

[monkey13]

I spotted that as well. I do think they are using the step to generate extra down force through the wheels.

[mps69]

Bringing the air in to keep their kers system cool, some way.

or

Channelling the air along the sides and out over the side pods?

[monkey13]

I can't see why you would want air coming in there. Also it looks closed. Like it is just a little alcove.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

[Fourjays Veteran]

Red Bull is the most interesting car so far, aside from the McLaren. Here is a good picture of the inlet on the nose:

There is a rule against holes right through the nose (was mentioned on Twitter this morning in relation to a hole on the top of the Sauber's nose), although I'm not sure about channels going right through the car (I'd expect so, otherwise it would have been done already). The only hole allowed is a single hole for driver cooling - which this could be. There is a drawing of the Red Bull without a hole in the nose tip, but I can't find any photos to confirm that.

Interesting whatever it is about.

Edit:

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

- Tweet by Scarbs (respected F1 tech journalist).

[monkey13]

That tweet sounds good. Doesn't look like a whole load of air will be going in there. Doubt it would be enough to cool anything mechanical. If there is a little slit at the top. I'm still not 100% sure it is open.

[Fourjays Veteran]

Newey on the RB8:

The restriction nose height which is a maximum height just in front of the front bulkhead hasn?t really changed the chassis shape very much. We?ve kept more or less the same chassis shape, but had to drop the nose just in front of the front bulkhead, which, in common with many other teams, has led us to I think I?d probably say a slightly ugly looking nose. We?ve tried to style it as best we can, but it?s not a feature you would choose to put in were it not for the regulation.

Doesn't sound positive for the stepped noses.

[philcruicks]

I'm thinking driver cooling...the new nose is missing the little hole that used to be there on the RB7

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

The Scuderia Toro Rosso STR7:

[Chasethebase Veteran]

Interesting, seems the majority of the teams have this nose. Which teams other than McLaren don't?

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Interesting, seems the majority of the teams have this nose. Which teams other than McLaren don't?

So far all teams besides McLaren use the 'platypus' type nose.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

The Williams F34:

[Fourjays Veteran]

The bull duct is for driver cooling according to Newey

via RacecarEngineer on Twitter, retweeted by Scarbs

So, morning test is over and Raikkonen is top. First time on the Pirellis for him so quite possibly pushing a bit to get used to the tyres. Interesting to see him top though.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps

1. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m19.670s 50

2. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m19.772s 52

3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m20.219s 56

4. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m20.694s 40

5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m21.474s 8

6. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m21.534s 29

7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.402s 22

8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m23.056s 51

9. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m23.178s 32

10. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m23.371s 23

11. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m24.322s 16

via Autosport

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Seen at the Jerez test:

Testing coverage:

• On Autosport
  
• Live timing on the Williams F1 website
  
• f1tests.co.cc - another nifty live timing site.
  

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Raikkonen leads Di Resta on first day of Jerez test

Kimi Raikkonen got his F1 comeback off to a positive start as he set the quickest time in testing at Jerez.

Raikkonen ran a series of rapid laps in the morning culminating in a 1?19.670 which put the Lotus E20 at the top of the times.

Paul di Resta came closed to deposing him with a best effort just a tenth of a second slower in the new Force India.

As always, the headlines times should not be taken as a simple reflection of who?s quickest and who?s slowest. For example, HRT (running last year?s car) were only 5% slower than the fastest time, well below the 7-8% range typically seen in last year?s races.

With nine new cars in action on the first day of the test some teams had comparatively quiet days.

Mark Webber got the year off to a slow start for defending champions Red Bull. He was unable to run during the first few hours of the session as fog at the track delayed the arrival of parts for the new RB8.

Heikki Kovalainen logged 28 laps in the new Caterham CT01 but his day?s running came to an end when the car?s starter developed a fault.

Another driver whose test ended early was Daniel Ricciardo. A drop in oil pressure on his Toro Rosso STR7 caused him to pull over with just over half hour remaining, causing the first red flag of the day.

?We had a very productive morning, doing over 40 laps and we made good progress with our programme,? said Ricciardo.

?Then in the afternoon, we did a couple of longer runs, but had to cut it short, although we only lost an hour. I was using the medium tyre on that last run, having used hard tyres for the rest of the day.?

Meanwhile Kamui Kobayashi, who had shaken down the Sauber C31 yesterday, did over 100 laps in the new car today. But he hit trouble with less than half an hour left in the session, bringing the red flags out a second time.

A brief restart gave Pedro de la Rosa time to post the final improvement of the day in last year?s HRT, before the chequered flag brought the first official test day of 2012 to an end.

Jerez test times

Source: F1 Fanatic

[TheLegendOfMart]

Hot damn thats one sexy machine, it looks so sleek next to the HERP DERP stepped nose cars.

This one gave me Brawn flashbacks, shame its a HRT, I think Jensons Brawn car is going to be my favourite F1 cars of all time.

[what]

The McLaren is so beautiful. I want to make love to it.

They're doing themselves a favour with the low nose and no step. Apparently next year the platypus noses will be gone. McLaren will barely have to change their car.