The secret of Mercedes' current domination of F1's new turbo era has been made public after Sky Sports F1's Mark Hughes revealed intricate details of how the Silver Arrows are packaging the hitherto-dominant W05. Sky F1 analyst Hughes has learnt that, in a highly complicated engineering feat, the team have successfully packaged their turbine and air compressor at either end of the W05's engine. The innovative design - which, like the best ideas, sounds simple, is vastly complex and brilliantly effective - is believed to have been conceived over two years ago. The revelation is also the best explanation yet for why the W05 has so far proved unbeatable in 2014, with Nico Rosberg's cruise to victory in Australia followed by Lewis Hamilton scoring F1's version of a hat-trick - pole position, the fastest lap of the race and victory - in Malaysia on Sunday. Hughes has learnt that the Brackley team's ties with Mercedes High Performance Engines gave them a critical headstart at the start of F1's new turbo age. F1 2014 - The Power Train Looking to achieve the most aerodynamically efficient car possible, the Mercedes team had significant influence over power unit design created at the German manufacturer's engine base in Brixworth. Writing in Motorsport magazine, Hughes discloses that Mercedes' breakthrough 'innovation is having the turbo's compressor at one end of the engine and the turbine at the other, linked by a long shaft through the vee of the engine'. The 'trick turbo layout' triggers a series of critical performance benefits. A reduction in turbo lag means less power needs to be be harvested from the car's ERS unit to keep the turbine spooled off throttle. That in turn improves the efficiency of the car, with more power reserved for performance gain and less fuel consequentially used up. Mercedes' customer teams all have the same advantage. However, because McLaren, Williams and Force India only took delivery of their power units relatively recently, they have had less time to work the layout into their respective car designs. Live on Sky Sports Live Formula One 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix: Qualifying April 5, 2014 3:00pm Get a Sky Sports Day PassUpgrade to Sky Sports But for the works outfit, the benefits of the W05's innovative layout has proved multifaceted. With the compressor further away from the turbine - which is spun by hot exhaust gases - the W05 has a smaller intercooler, meaning Mercedes are running with smaller sidepods which boost aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, with the compressor in front of the engine, Mercedes have also moved their car's gearbox forward, improving its centre of gravity and therefore, in theory, its handling. But while Mercedes' rivals are aware of the championship leaders' secret, they are essentially powerless to react. The engines for 2014 are now in lock-down, with February 28 marking the agreed homologation date by which all the teams had to register their design for the new season with the governing body, the FIA. The Mercedes power unit has been widely credited as being the critical performance differential in their victorious start to the new season. Red Bull boss Christian Horner claimed in Malaysia that his team was one second slower along the straights, with trackside observers estimating that the Mercedes unit boasts anything between 50 and 70 extra horsepower over the rest of the field.
If they can incorporate that into their design (assuming they themselves haven't thought of something else), Ferrari and Renualt may as well not bother turning up next year. Am sure Ferrari International Assistance will rescue them by saying the turbo now has to be a combined unit, so their brilliant solution becomes outlawed.
Is it the new DFV? What is the ruling about switching Engine manufacturers mid season, (yeah, it'll be a pain to redesign a whoe car, but) or is their incompetence commercially protected (the scourge of the modern world IMO) like it usually is in the modern world?
Mercedes will be happy to dominate for a couple of years and then allow the rules to change before they start to get negative publicity
Not sure if I have read it right, but having an advanatge over the Merc supplied teams isnt great news for competitivness moving forward either.
Beautiful car! Fortunately there are two very good drivers to avoid knowing in advance who will win the race!
Tech Analysis: The success behind the W05 There is no question that the Mercedes W05 will go down as an all-time classic F1 car. Itâs up there with the likes of the 1988 McLaren MP4/4 and Ferrari F2004. It is now the most successful car in F1 history. Why? William Tyson picks apart the bones of one of the most dominant cars in racing ever. Before we compare the likes of the Mercedes W05 to any other highly decorated F1 car, we need to put a few things into context to understand just what Mercedes â and all their partners â have achieved this year. Take the Ferrari F2004: it was, in essence, an evolution of the F2003-GA, which was in turn a further refinement of the F2002. This evolution effect is a philosophy that is copied to this day, including Red Bullâs recent run of championship success. The regulations were fairly stable during the early noughties, so Ferrari developed on an already-quick concept whilst others faltered around them. The McLaren MP4/4 was a different story entirely. 1988 was the last year of the turbo-charged F1 engines (until this year, that is) so whilst many manufacturers looked ahead to the naturally aspirated era, Honda â partnering McLaren for the first time â developed an incredible drivetrain that was coupled to an equally good chassis. It was a match made in heaven. Mercedes, however, have been planning the W05 for years. 2014 represented a multitude of changes to F1, probably the biggest since 1989. Drawn in by the roadcar relevance, Mercedes pumped in the cash and so to did their technical partners from across the globe. The W05 was a car that they could not afford to underachieve with â quite literally. The power unit alone â produced by Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains (HPP) â was developed over at least two years in anticipation of the highly complex energy recovery systems and 100kg fuel limit. In turn, fuel partner Petronas developed the most efficient fuel on the grid and constantly brought new formulas to races to further distance themselves from the competition. This meant that not only could they use less fuel but they were also capable of extracting more power from the V6 turbo hybrid. The W05 is a masterpiece of modern engineering. Domination in any sport is extremely difficult, but dominating in F1 is arguably the hardest it has ever been to achieve. There is a large pool of talented engineers and designers in every team, and the top teams â who have huge budgets â exploit their knowledge to the absolute maximum. Never has F1 been filled with more complexities, in every aspect of the car and not just the power units. That is why the W05 should be celebrated for many years to come. Power unit please log in to view this image The Mercedes power unit (PU) has been pivotal to the W05âs success. It produces some 70bhp more than its competitors and is also more fuel efficient. The additional power not only increases top speed, but it also allows the drivers to run more downforce due to their significant advantage. By contrast, Red Bull have had to run far less downforce this season to compensate. Above you can see the layout of this award-winning creation â the Dewar Trophy is not handed out on an annual basis and it is only awarded to the creators of a significant engineering triumph. A key design element of the Mercedes PU is the use of the split turbo concept. The red oval indicates the exhaust driven side of the turbine, whilst a shaft is run through the âVâ of the ICE connecting to the compressor (blue) at the front. By doing this, the air that is forced into the compressor is less influenced by the hot temperatures of the exhaust gases passing through the other side of the turbine at the back of the engine, thus allowing the use of a much smaller intercooler which in itself is uniquely placed within the chassis. Along the shaft that connects to the two sides of the turbocharger lies the MGU-H (yellow, H), which is responsible for harvesting and dispensing energy through the turbo once the maximum rpm of the turbine has been reached and under acceleration, respectively. Again, Mercedes have used the space within the âVâ of the engine block to good effect as the mass of the MGU-H is now placed closer to the centre of the car to improve handling. By comparison, both Ferrari and Renault have theirs mounted at the back of the PU where the turbo is positioned. Also improving the centre of gravity is the placement of the intercooler. A small radiator in the sidepod is used to provide cool liquid to the water-to-air intercooler (green) that is tucked in vertically at the back of the chassis. It occupies an area just above the ERS battery pack (black) just behind the fuel tank (light blue). The surrounding water jacket cools the air coming from the compressor before being ducted back into the engine via two plenums that surround the air inlet. The advantage of having such short plumbing is that it reduces turbo lag, which without the MGU-H would be an even bigger issue for Mercedes given the fact that their turbo is the biggest on the grid. Reducing turbo lag naturally allows Mercedes to use more energy through the MGU-K (yellow, K), as less reliance is placed on the MGU-H to spool the turbine under acceleration. This means that more energy is available to provide additional horsepower across the lap rather than wasting it on driveability under acceleration. Mercedes also run a log-style exhaust collector rather than a traditional manifold. This ensures that exhaust gases reach the turbo as soon as possible, rather than collectively in one consistent mass. Again, this is another solution that improves the W05âs driveability, as well as freeing up more space in the sidepods for other pipework and tighter bodywork. Gearbox Mercedes also run a unique gearbox compared to anyone else on the grid and it is something that they have adopted since last year, further refining it for 2014. Conventionally, the gearbox is sandwiched within the long carbon fibre case (that also host the rear crash structure) between two bulkheads. However the Mercedes layout is very different â the gearbox itself is a catridge which is housed within the carbon fibre case. In other words, no oil is running through the case itself, it is all lubricated within the cartridge. The case hosts the pickup mounts for the rear suspension, rear crash structure and the rear wing, plus the radiator for the gearbox oil which is fed by the two ears either side of the airbox. The advantage of this is that Mercedes can manufacture a new case should they want to refine their rear suspension geometry, without breaking the rules of producing an entirely new gearbox. The gearbox itself is also under less stress from the suspension load as the cartridge is independent from the rear suspension. This is also beneficial given that the additional torque output from the new power units is three times higher than that of last yearâs V8. Chassis please log in to view this image Contrary to what a lot of people have said this year, I believe the W05 was also the best chassis on the grid. The Red Bull RB10 was very good, but it was perhaps hampered by the Renault power unit which caused the team to run less downforce, so I suppose we never saw its true potential. However credit should not be taken away from Mercedes as the car looked great to drive in both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosbergâs hands. please log in to view this image Starting with the nose, Mercedes interpreted the regulations very differently to their competitors. They made an inverted âUâ shape to form the tip of the nose that meets the 9000mm² cross sectional area, centred at the prescribed 185mm above the reference plane. To achieve this the W05âs nose pillars are the same cross section until the dog-leg at their base, before attaching to the regulatory pillars that are also dimensioned specifically. These are very short in height, allowing a greater sized void for air to pass beneath the nose and into the splitter region. The camera pods were another neat touch â by mounting them on stalks, the airflow passing over the nose is guided more efficiently whilst the pods themselves are still within the required box-shaped zone, designed to clamp down using them for an aerodynamic advantage. Further back, the front suspension is also unique. The lower wishbone fluidly joins two pickup points at the chassis into one body at the front tyre. This provides a cleaner surface for airflow to pass over, which is particularly key to front tyre wake management. please log in to view this image At the back of the W05, plenty of developments were made to the rear wing, diffuser and in particular the Y100 (monkey seat) winglet. The monkey seat has had an even bigger influence this year than previous years as it is not only bigger but also influences the exhaust plume. Mercedes have certainly led the way in this area, with plenty of iterations of the winglet introduced to the car throughout the season. Above is the low downforce specification winglet seen in Monza, whilst at high downforce tracks the winglet takes on a complex multi-element device in comparison to every other team on the grid. Successfully channelling the exhaust plume up towards the top flap of the rear wing encourages airflow to remain attached to the wingâs lower surface, thus allowing a higher angle of attack on the rear wing and increasing rear downforce. At the beginning of the season, Mercedes was around 0.7 seconds quicker than the nearest opposition and this gap has been maintained throughout the season. At times the W05 has been even faster. Mercedes have been able to continuously develop the car despite having less potential than the others, which proves just how good of a job the team have done this year. With the power unit expected to be even stronger next year, the W05 could well be the start of a period of dominance for the Silver Arrows. For an even further insight into the success of the Mercedes W05 Hybrid, please support my eBook project and get a discount on all 4 issues ahead of their release over the coming months â https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-w05-understanding-the-championship-winning-car Follow @theWPTformula
Does a dominant car simply mean it is the greatest? There are many other cars which have dominated seasons, but did so by way of being revolutionary compared to anything else that had gone before. The Mercedes W05, is actually a fairly conventional car, in much the same way the McLaren MP4/4 was and MP4/2 of 1984 also was. If I were considering the greatest car, I would look at ones which made all other teams go scurrying back to their drawing boards to fundamentally change the way they design cars. The 1959/1960 Coopers forced everyone to put engines in the back, the 1967/68 Lotus's made the engine a stressed member of the chassis, 1978 Lotus 79 made everyone take note of ground effect aero if they wanted to remain competitive. The W05 may be one of the best F1 cars ever made, but IMO it would not be classed as the greatest. edit: The MP4/2 could be considered revolutionary as at the time not many other teams were using carbon fibre monocoques. Most would abandon the aluminium honeycomb chassis that had been used before the MP4's were introduced.
Dominant v Greatest - interesting. I still think they have managed something pretty special in an era of new regulations.
Great post there, BLS. Thanks. I learned a few details I'd heard rumours about, which have given me a better understanding of the complete package. What a masterpiece, eh? An interesting post, ASC. "The greatest" is always indefinable, since it will always involve some element of subjectivity when trying to compare the incomparable: i.e. things from different eras (whether these be people or machines). All we can hope to do is find the best from an era – which of course also requires definition. With technical regulations very much restricting how much can be done, I would say that under the present definition, the W05 is about as revolutionary as it gets. With most components heavily 'prescribed' by rules, the innovative packaging of the W05 is nothing short of a masterpiece. I'm also pretty sure it has already sparked serious re-thinking within other teams who will be trying to incorporate various aspects of the Mercedes design. One thing I'd like to add is that I believe the 2014 Red Bull retains superior aerodynamics (yes, even at the end of the season), but this has been comprehensively put in the shade by virtually all aspects of the Mercedes powertrain, and how it has been incorporated. Indeed, this is also alluded to by Tyson who considers the Mercedes power and its driveability to be so superior that they can run higher levels of downforce, which I believe more than compensate for the losses in aero efficiency, relative to the Red Bull. If ever a car should be considered one of the all-time greats, the W05 is right up there, in my opinion (despite not having the ultimate best aero). That said, other teams will gradually close the gap as they clearly have more ground for development. It could well take another season though, or even longer, before those with sufficient commitment get close to equalising Mercedes' current advantage. Ferrari need to learn how to become innovative again, and once again need to sort out various internal issues with management structure and communication. Renault need to remind themselves of their commitment and stop whining via the Horner mouthpiece; they need to set about the job properly or get out (with serious loss of face). The way I see it, despite getting off to a very late start, Honda will probably be the first to close in on the Mercedes power unit and its elegant relationship with the chassis; but 2015 will be a very steep learning curve for the Japanese giant which must be prepared to be flexible with a McLaren (not Honda*) chassis. *Honda need to trust McLaren and their ultimate ability to build great chassis, especially as they will not have the luxury of having others using their power units, which very much extends development time compared to having several teams running them. Once again, here Mercedes have well and truly cornered the market!
My thoughts on the car are that they have dominated the season from start to finish, and you just get the feeling that they have so much more if needed. I appreciate that there have been other cars in other eras that have achieved similar, but in recent times they have set the benchmark and then some. People have raved about the Red Bulls and the Brawn, but they were always kept honest and caught up (or overtaken) by the end I'd the season.
Seems more the mistakes and difficulty getting to grips with new regs by other teams made the merc look better than it is. But not to take away how good the car is but maybe not as good as the McLaren and Ferrari mentioned and I'll add the 92 Williams
True enough. Of course, "mistakes and difficulty" only come into focus by comparison to what follows: in this case, the successful innovation of others.
Video - technical review: Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid [video]http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/2014/0/1247.html[/video] Mercedes' title-winning F1 W05 Hybrid might not have looked overly radical compared to certain rivals, but it was the most innovative car on the grid in 2014. Critical to its success, however, was not only its initial design, but also its ongoing development throughout the season, as this video illustrates.
