McLaren MP4-28 car launch

Nismo · 1 Feb 2013 at 09:15

Ceryndrion said:
Looking at that picture, to my untrained ill informed eyes, there is no way in hell that it is a stepped nose piece, looks more like an internal structure to me, the angles are all wrong..

edit: course, it could just be upside down..

Looks exactly like a stepped nose cone to me :confused:

It's been pretty much confirmed by the people who were at the launch the the car has one, with a modesty panel on top. Even if it turned out it was small, it could be the wind tunnel model, aren't they 60% scale?

FrankJH · 1 Feb 2013 at 10:18

Nismo said:
Looks exactly like a stepped nose cone to me

It's been pretty much confirmed by the people who were at the launch the the car has one, with a modesty panel on top. Even if it turned out it was small, it could be the wind tunnel model, aren't they 60% scale?

Surely McLaren have a 100% scale tunnel (or maybe that was just an assumption on my part)

Just out of interest anyone know what scale the new Ferrari one thats currently under construction is?

Im guessing the larger teams dont have multiple tunnels of different scales?

Nismo · 1 Feb 2013 at 10:20

FrankJH said:
Surely McLaren have a 100% scale tunnel (or maybe that was just an assumption on my part

To be clear, we are talking about the scale of the parts being tested, not the size of the wind tunnel

(although permitted wind speed is limited).

Pretty sure no team is allowed to have a wind tunnel model that is more than 60% of full size, and IIRC this has just been increased from something like 45-50%.

Edit - yes, but there is a compromise for doing a full-scale test...last paragraph...

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8713/

FrankJH · 1 Feb 2013 at 10:30

Nismo said:
To be clear, we are talking about the scale of the parts being tested, not the size of the wind tunnel (although permitted wind speed is limited).

Pretty sure no team is allowed to have a wind tunnel model that is more than 60% of full size, and IIRC this has just been increased from something like 45-50%.

Edit - yes, but there is a compromise for doing a full-scale test...last paragraph...

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8713/

Thank you very much for that, very interesting indeed

hnosyalnif · 1 Feb 2013 at 19:04

utajoker · 2 Feb 2013 at 00:31

What is the point in that panel. Just have the nose that shape

The_Abyss · 2 Feb 2013 at 07:29

Because it is fugly.

Kenai · 2 Feb 2013 at 08:04

I'm amazed they've gone as far as running an increased tub height for 2013, given they're going to have lower it again for 2014.

I'm starting to suspect i've just missed the announcement that the original nose/tub height restrictions for 2014 have been dropped and they'll stay like this next year too

FrankJH · 2 Feb 2013 at 08:24

utajoker said:
What is the point in that panel. Just have the nose that shape

Im wondering if its something to do with strength in a crash (ie the vanity panel just splinters, and the nose section still behaves as is required in a crash. If it was standard shaped nose the side of the other car could ride up ontop of the chassis/tub)

Syla5 · 2 Feb 2013 at 09:13

utajoker said:
What is the point in that panel. Just have the nose that shape

The stepped nose was brought in o reduce the height of the whole nose structure from just after the tub. This was to increase safety in collisions. As the nose height had to reduce from the same level as the tub to the new max height of the nose in a 50mm (I think) zone, this is why we got the steps last year.

The vanity panl has to meet strict requirements that I an accident it's presence is inconsequential. It's purpose is to make the cars look less fugly pretty much.

Consider 2012 as an issue of nuts or loaded without any photoshopping haha

deuse · 2 Feb 2013 at 09:24

Mclaren better have a very fast car for the start of the season because Button and Perez are not very good in qualifying.

Syla5 · 2 Feb 2013 at 09:45

Button is fine, when the car is 100% to his liking.

deuse · 2 Feb 2013 at 09:49

Syla5 said:
Button is fine, when the car is 100% to his liking.

I think he only got 1 pole in the 3 years at Mclaren(could be wrong) so not that good.

Mr Men · 2 Feb 2013 at 09:51

So McLaren finally go step nose

Kenai · 2 Feb 2013 at 09:52

Mr Men said:
So McLaren finally go step nose

Just a little bit late for your original prediction of during last season

edit - this is what confuses me though:

2012 - nose tip 550mm, bulkhead 625mm - McLaren ran well under these heights as their chassis had been compliant anyway and had been for years, hence no step needed
2013 - nose tip 550mm, bulkhead 625mm - McLaren have swapped to high nose design, developed a new chassis and increased the bulkhead height and forced the requirement for a step
2014 - nose tip 185mm, bulkhead 500mm - McLaren will then have to swap back to low nose design

Just strikes me as a complete waste of time switching to the high nose philosophy so late in the game when they'll be forced by regulations to back to low noses that they were virtually already running

~Mike~ · 2 Feb 2013 at 10:07

deuse said:
Mclaren better have a very fast car for the start of the season because Button and Perez are not very good in qualifying.

Race pace is more important than qualifying pace.

dannyjo22 · 2 Feb 2013 at 10:49

Agreed to win the odd race, but for a title you need both.

deuse · 2 Feb 2013 at 12:36

Mike306 said:
Race pace is more important than qualifying pace.

Tell that to vimto and rb racing

Mr Men · 2 Feb 2013 at 12:54

Kenai said:
Just a little bit late for your original prediction of during last season

Would have been designed last season and shows they were wrong not to have it last season