please log in to view this image Ferrari were clearly heavier when they switched to the soft tyres: Alonso on hard: 1.24.7 Alonso on soft: 1.24.6
please log in to view this image Those vents genji on the sidepods, just above the pepe jeans logo. This was from Bahrain but then people weren't asking about it then.
Wouldn't that just stall the sidepod? please log in to view this image Don't see the point of that unless they're able to open the slot somehow when DRS is activated, but it looks like they've still got the original flap actuator thing.
The slots could be taking in air to feed either to the rear of the car or maybe even the kers batteries in a gap between the radiators and the outer skin of the sidepods.
I can't tell from those photos which way the slots are angled but if they're higher towards the back than the front then they are indeed outlets to help keep the airflow attached but are more likely being fed from the main sidepod radiator inlet than from the 'cave' (as I think it's being termed to differentiate it from the original tunnel solution). I think the cave is just taking airflow away from the exhaust path but also increasing the flow to the top of the diffuser.
I agree. I think you are on the money here Silver. Channelling air in this manner would have the effect of further reducing air pressure from underneath with a corresponding increase over upper surfaces: a 'win-win' situation, so long as the updraughted air does not cause top-flow air to 'detach' from the top surface of the side-pod. The tapering shape of side pods has the effect of pulling the airflow down (it 'sticks' to the upper surface, so long as it is shaped within a certain tolerance); but vented air emerging over the side-pod will increase the density of top-flowing air, en route rearward to the exhaust and atop the diffuser. A clever and relatively simple idea, so long as air can be efficiently scavenged from underneath; entirely consistent with Newey's mentality…
I thought this looking at the Silver's pic in post #145. There's a horizontal line just inside the sidepod which looks as if it could be scooping air through the vent on the leading edge of the sidepod.
A very poor paintjob on what I reckon is happening. I also don't think that's the only hole either, there's another hole now around the drivers head.
I just don't see it. I think the cave is simply a more developed version of the tunnel and it's simply getting the airflow out of the way of the exhaust and expelling it from the main engine cover outlet. All this is happening above the floor so the advantages of reducing air pressure "underneath" are not really there.
Well what lead me in this direction was because jason on twitter said he couldn't see an exit for this tunnel.
It's a nice idea but a lot of effort to go to to feed a little slot that sits about an inch above a big **** off hole, in my opinion. As AG said earlier, one thing they could be used for is to stall the sidepod but that would be useless unless it was done in tandem with the DRS. I'm not sure how much drag the top of the sidepod generates, anyway.
It's also possible that it's assisted by the radiators, maybe providing more force for the cold air when it exits out of the hole?
You thought your paint job was poor Silver: please log in to view this image I think they're just scooping some of the air that flows into the sidepod over the sidepod to prevent the flow separating when it first comes into contact with the leading edge of the sidepod. That's supposed to be a cross sectional view by the way, terrible pic.
It's all relative. What matters (if this is indeed what Newey has done) is the difference in pressure above and below. I agree that stalling the sidepod would seem an utterly bizarre objective.
Back to more general stuff, for a moment: Red Bull and McLaren look pretty close and slightly ahead of Mercedes on low fuel, qualifying speed, although Rosberg could put at least one nose out of joint. The dark horse is not the prancing one but the black of Lotus, particularly for the race. I wouldn't be surprised to see them both finish ahead of Schumacher. Ferrari appear to be clawing their way up a mountain of moguls. Alonso's heroics at Turn 14 –throwing the car over its left kerb– appear to be in vain, except to beat his woefully slow team mate, who should have left the stage a season ago… Several drivers went on safari, but Senna went one better in not being able to hold a similar slide, spinning instead. Then again, it saved pebble-dashing his car and making a mess of the track. Karthikeyan is an idiot. There, I've said it. He seems not to have the slightest idea about some of the most important basics. Either that or he's got a death wish and worse: not a care in the world for heroic marshals. If I'd have been marshalling that 140mph piece of track, I'd have left him to it…
It's got something to do with convection of airflow I think. The cold airflow is able to apply more weight with it's density when at high speed, but just enough pressure with the hot exhaust flow when not at high speed. In a way the rear end is "heavier" at high speed making it more stable while lighter on medium to slow corners. So in a way Seb and Mark are driving 2 different cars at certain sectors. Does that make sense or have I talked bollox? I'm no expert in aero of course. Nice paint job btw.
