Motors The Official bit-tech F1 2012 Thread - Post season

I really like the look of the Fezza, not as much as the fake fish one from 'tallian mag' 'fore. Though this is coming from the guy that thinks the "Ice Gem" look is great, and loves the style of the Gumpert Apollo.

You can really see the difference in philosophy between McLaren and Ferrari, McLaren unwilling to compromise "mechanical grip" (good for Monza and Monaco). Whilst Ferrari going for peak aero', and to hell with the front wheels, 'they're only there to keep the front wing off the ground' (Mayasia & Spa Franconchamps). The Force India and Ferrari suspension designers are wishing they had keels to fit the lower 'bones to, but keels went ages ago for the airflow and RB sky high front end.

Now if you go back and look at the areas around the front of the side pods you'll see the effects of low/high tubs. McLaren are concerned low down, whereas Ferrari's concern is higher up. An older Ferrari ethos (not sure if it still applies) was to go with LWB because it gives them extra car to manage the airflow, whilst this increases understeer tendencies, and probably contributed to the precariousness in the wet without TC.

I'm curious to find out if any team has found inequity from the new exhaust systems. Maybe this is Mercedes plan to unveil the car late, keep the lunacy under-wraps longer.

Step nose bulkhead on F1.com

 

Lotus have launched the E20, with a not too horrendous stepped nose. Maybe it's just the colour.

 

that is one of the better looking stepped noses

 

Is it just me or does it look quite conservative? The FI has quite an interesting sidepod design, and being first of the mid-fields it's got their usually similar(ish) designs in our heads before this comes along... It just doesn't have one feature that makes me think "Hmm... Interesting!"

 

Agreed; it just looks like last year's car with a new nose and the exhausts moved.

 

The new Lotus is a bit uninspiring to look at, but their stepped nose is definitely one of the prettier ones.
That being said, their car wasn't rubbish early last season - they just couldn't keep up with the developments (possibly due to their drivers being noobs at developing cars). They now have Kimi, and I am expecting to see them fight for fourth with Mercedes.

 

Really? Am I the only one who thinks Kimi just doesn't care enough to be a full-on development driver? He always strikes me as being the opposite to the Alonso/Schumacher/Vettel type driver.

 

This. But, I'm gonna give him a chance.

I suspect he wouldn't have come back if he wasn't interested. Last time he got sick of the politics and couldn't give a ****. It will be interesting to see his attitude as the season progresses in a team that idoilizes him rather than treats him as part of the framework as Ferrari did. Unfortunately I think his ego requires that, but at the same time watching the video - despite it's full corporateness - his body language has changed vs the grid walks Martin used to do.

 

I think Kimi is amped to be back. He thought he was done with F1, and possibly his ego was done with Ferrari. The very fact that he seems to have initiated talks this time around means he's keen to race. He knows he's in a midfield team now, and has to deliver the goods to remain in the sport. He knows that right now, he's just an expensive marketing face, when he really wants to be a world champion. He's got car development experience, unlike LRGP's drivers last year.

 

All these cars have chin's like Reese Witherspoon. The Mercedes might be styled on Schumacers face.

 

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/02/06/sauber-c31-launch-pictures-saubers-2012-f1-car/
A more ferrari-like stepped nose for Sauber.

Edit

And a strange exhaust tip they have there, unless I am miss-seeing something here.

 

Is that not a swan-neck lower beam wing support? Can't see anything else that looks exhausty, but that shape is totally outlawed by the 2012 regs.

Interesting sidepods - they're the polar opposite to Ferrari's ideas, they just disappear!

 

Could be... I had a long hard look around the car on other pictures, and can't find any other shot of it... those sidepds are interesting, true...
Edit:
I reckon the exhausts are the bulge just below it, blowing the lower beam wing... seems to eb pointing upwards, albeit ver very far back-and-center.

 

Exhaust is in the rear of the sidepod (just below the Claro logo in the shot I've embedded).

 

Well spotted! Another one blowing the rear wing endplates by the look of it, certainly a more interesting car than the Lotus.

 

And Amrtin Whitmarsh says the interesting exhaust covers were fake on the MP4-27
http://planetf1.com/driver/18227/7491437/Boss-Launched-McLaren-was-plastic-

 

Looks like the STR will have a nicely rounded step:

 

Well Red Bull have shown a short video and they've gone with a stepper as well but it looks like it's a crazy one, almost a vertical step by the looks but not a lot can be made out from the vid.

 

It's an interesting one, almost looks like there could be a vent there. Will see when proper photos come out.



edit - we've got a render...and that's about it.

 

I have to say I'm a little disappointed in Red Bull's idea of a 'launch' though. All that countdown and build up for a crappy little 90 second video which is blurry, low res and generally a bit meh. They do better PR and media than this.