2022 Formula 1 Thread

[God-Speed]

Originally Posted by ZCanadian

COTA just renewed to 2026.
I feared we'd be stuck with Miami as the only US venue.

Now if Only COTA would get a NEW CEO!!!

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by Spooler

We shall see. He has a little while to get it together.

-- article--

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...24/6851237001/

[DLSTR]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/wh...esign/8294502/

What’s behind Mercedes' new wavy-edged F1 design

Great anticipation surrounded the launch of Mercedes' W13 Formula 1 car on Friday, as observers were eager to see how the reigning champion team would interpret the revamped technical rules.

Matt Somerfield
By:
Matt Somerfield
Feb 19, 2022, 4:02 AM

Sure enough, the car didn't disappoint. The W13 features a nose with a domed surface and round tip that reaches forward over the front wing and connects with the mainplane.

The nose tip also features a panel that will likely allow the team to exchange the smooth panel currently installed for one with an inlet to cool the drivers when temperatures increase.

The mainplane itself dips down in the central region around the nose, to help divert airflow under the body of the nose and onward towards the underfloor and sidepods.

PLUS: The intriguing Mercedes discrepancy keeping its F1 rivals guessing

It’s a four-element wing, as the team adopts the maximum pieces that the regulations permit, with the upper three elements of a shorter chord than the mainplane. Mercedes is also the most aggressive so far when it concerns the taper of the elements, which extend out from the nose into the loaded portion of the wing.
Mercedes W13 front wing detail

Mercedes W13 front wing detail

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

The adjustable sections of the wing, and the mechanism used to perform that function, have clearly been designed to maximize flow direction, given the regulations have taken away some of the tools that designers previously had to perform these duties.

The outer portion of the wing unloads as the regulations suggest it should. But it’s where the flaps connect to the endplate that the real action is, the team opting for a more squared off junction (red arrow). This manifests itself at the rear element, with elements stepped back from the endplate (blue arrow).

The endplate also has a more distinctive triangular leading edge than seen elsewhere, which results in a shorter top edge and a domineering diveplane. The designers have also opted to place their infrared tyre sensor on the upper front corner of the endplate, with aerodynamics clearly the decision behind its placement.

Mercedes has not opted for the snowplow or double splitter design used by others, but it has narrowed the front section of the bib considerably, taking on more of a wedge shape that will likely result in any vortices shed from it being altered in response.
Mercedes W13 front wing endplate detail

Mercedes W13 front wing endplate detail

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

The floor features a full-width tunnel either side of the chassis, not the narrower, upper floor feeding solution seen on the McLaren and Alfa Romeo, with three crescent shaped strakes protruding from the tunnel's entrance.

Where it differentiates itself from those with the full-width variant we’ve already seen is the geometry of the leading edge and the strakes that protrude from it. The tunnel entrance is much higher alongside the chassis before it dips down quite steeply toward the edge wing, leaving a significant bluff surface.

The edge floor wing (red arrow) is short in terms of its length, and tall in the forward section, but abbreviates quickly in order to match the geometry of the floor as it tapers away.

This area of floor has also been carefully crafted in this region in order that the airflow follows a more defined route around the lower half of the sidepods. The W13 also features a solution first seen on the W12 last season and subsequently abandoned in Mercedes' Silverstone B-Spec upgrade package – the wavy edge.
Mercedes W13 tunnel entrance detail

Mercedes W13 tunnel entrance detail

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

In terms of the W13’s variant we’re seeing smaller waves, or upturns, at the front that grow in size further downstream. As with the ones used on its predecessor, it’s expected that these direct flow outwards from under the floor to artificially increase the width of the floor, where ordinarily it would be disturbed by the front tyre wake being pushed under the floor.

PLUS: The F1 compromises Mercedes battled to make ‘monster diva’ W12 a winner

The overall design of the sidepod is a modified version of what the team has used for the last few seasons, with a narrow, tall inlet used as they accommodate the revised regulations regarding the SIPS (Side Impact Protection Spars). Unable to mount the upper spar as low as it has over the last few years, all of the teams have abandoned the high, shallow and wide inlet that Ferrari first introduced in 2017.

In the side view, the Mercedes sidepod tilts inwards at the most forward section. A multi-geometry surface has been created to both shrink wrap the internal components, while also offering a favourable aerodynamic performance.

The team has also designed a wing mirror stalk on the outer edge of the sidepod to create a long, outwardly-angled flow diverter that will work in combination with the high sidepod shoulder that also follows a similar geometry in order to try and push flow outboard.

The sidepods, as in the past, both taper down towards the floor but also undercut all the way to the rear of the car and the coke bottle region. There can be found a high waisted section and a very narrow cooling outlet, which is currently the only one on the car. This will likely increase in size, depending on the circuit, but might also be supplemented by the addition of cooling gills which the team has thus far opted not to deploy.
Mercedes W13 detail

Mercedes W13 detail

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

The inboard section of the floor features the double kick line design, as the team looks to improve the transition between the underfloor tunnels and the diffuser. In the lower outer section, the team has managed to find a way to incorporate a short flow diverting strake ahead of the rear tyre.

As anticipated, based upon the design seen on its engine customers Aston Martin and Williams, the W13 features a pullrod rear suspension layout.

PLUS: How the first real F1 2022 launch cars compare

The rear wing design differs from those seen elsewhere in other respects too. The Mercedes design team has opted for a W-shaped mainplane design that features an upturned leading edge in the central section. This is separated by a single mounted pillar, which is also conjoined with the DRS actuator pod.
Mercedes W13 rear wing detail

Mercedes W13 rear wing detail

Photo by: Mercedes AMG

[danegrey]

found this interesting, I do the bing quiz everyday and here is the result of a question

Where would you rather start your engine?
Formula 1 - 56%
NASCAR - 44%

where would you rather stop your engine.png

That more people would rather start a F1 race...

[DLSTR]

Ferrari aero - Ferrari F1-75 - Aerodynamics Analysis and Initial Thoughts

https://youtu.be/o_pVuaNkx0o

[danegrey]

the HAAS is alive

https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/statu...82741177827330

[God-Speed]

Alpine F1 2022.

[DLSTR]

Alpine to run pink livery for first two F1 races

Alpine will race a different version of its Formula 1 livery for the first two races of the 2022 season, adopting a majority pink design for title sponsor BWT.

[DLSTR]

Who will adapt and be fast immediately!??


https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/no...1-car/8399599/

Norris experimenting with driving style to adapt to 2022 F1 car
McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris says he has been experimenting with his driving style for the all-new 2022 F1 cars and is conscious that he might need to adapt to the new McLaren.

By: Filip Cleeren
Co-author: Jonathan Noble
Feb 22, 2022, 10:38 AM
F1 has introduced its biggest rule change since 2009 with cars that feature completely overhauled aerodynamics designed around ground effect.

While F1's pre-season officially starts in Barcelona on Wednesday with the first of two three-day tests, drives have already sampled their new equipment in the virtual world with plenty of hours in the simulator.

Norris says he's used his time in the sim to experiment with changing his driving style to suit his team's MCL36 challenger, in case the new car needs a different approach to get the most out of it.

"Of course, that's in the back of my head," he said when asked if he's mindful of having to adapt his driving to the 2022-spec cars.

"On the simulator I've been spending a lot of time not just driving the car but being prepared to drive it in different ways and being ready to drive in different driving styles because of this.

"I would say our car has been quite specific in the last few years in how to drive it and how to get performance out of it. That showed through Daniel [Ricciardo] coming to drive the car. I think it is the case that some cars are easier to adapt to than others."


In his first year at the Woking team Ricciardo struggled to get used to McLaren's predecessor, the MCL35M, but the 2022 reset now puts both drivers on equal footing.

Norris is conscious every driver on the grid could end up in Ricciardo's 2021 situation, although the Briton is confident in his ability to quickly get used to new machinery.

"I think there's that for everyone: that they might suit people's driving styles more than others, and it could potentially be a hard one for me," Norris acknowledged. "But that is life, right? You have to deal with it.

"Before F1 I had to deal with it in every category I did, and I spent one year in every season and each year I had to adapt something new and try to make the most of that.

"It has been proven by champions and race winners that an F1 car is not an easy thing to get your head around and get in the zone, which I felt I did more last year and that is what Daniel struggled with.

"I hope it suits my driving style and everything's groovy but definitely there will be things I have to adapt to.

"Now that this [car] is very different it is going to be different for me and different for Daniel."

[DLSTR]

The winter break is almost over and the 2022 Formula 1 season is edging closer.

The vast majority of the teams have launched their new cars so now it's time for testing to get under way.

The first three days - from 23-25 February - will be held at Spain's Circuit de Catalunya, with live text commentaries available on the BBC website and app.

A second testing session will take place in Bahrain from 10-12 March before the season gets under way on the same track on 20 March.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/60076597

[DLSTR]

The secrets revealed in Red Bull's belated RB18 unveiling
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
Feb 23, 2022, 5:46 AM

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/th...iling/8425707/

Late is the hour at which Red Bull chooses to appear. Having escorted Max Verstappen to his first Formula 1 world title, the team's new RB18 had yet to break cover as the team elected to “launch” its new model with...a completely different car.

But perhaps Red Bull is never late, or early, and has unveiled its car precisely when it means to. Aiming to keep some of its details under wraps to ensure they couldn’t be assimilated into the other cars, Barcelona’s “shakedown event” proved to be the first proper look at its new championship challenger.

And, as expected, it’s taken a very bold approach to the new F1 regulations, even if the front wing looks relatively conventional by the current standards compared to those we’ve already seen. The wing features a centrally loaded layout which sweeps downwards towards the tips, with part of the flap adjuster mechanism placed either side of the nose in a bid to build a small vortex and send it around the front wheels.

The endplates are squared off in a manner similar to its ‘sister’ AlphaTauri team and, like many of the recent Red Bull F1 cars, the nose features a small snorkel at the tip, built into the wing element behind the front plane.

But the front suspension is altogether more interesting. Like McLaren, Red Bull has switched to a pullrod layout while the upper wishbone is also arranged curiously, with the rear leg mounted much further down on the chassis bulkhead in an apparent bid to control the oncoming airflow and turn it downwards. There’s been a lot of focus in this area amid the new rules, especially with the reduced aero componentry, and directing airflow to the front of the sidepods with the suspension components appears to be in vogue.

Speaking of those sidepods, Red Bull has really rolled up its sleeves in this area. They feature a very heavy undercut, helped by extending the bottom leading edge of the inlet forward. In this area, the opening of the floor’s Venturi tunnels features a bargeboard-like extension over the top. Sharp, exposed corners produce and energise vortices to help shunt airflow outwards, guiding any tyre wake away from the floor area.

max-verstappen-red-bull-racing-1.jpg
Dramatic undercut on the sidepods is designed to channel air more effectively

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Airflow will pass around that undercut and around the flat-sided sidepods to be drawn into the rear 'Coke bottle' region, while the air passing over the top follows a downwards ramp to also feed towards the back of the car. This has been done by positioning many of the cooling components closer to the centre of the car, necessitating a larger inlet above the driver's head. There’s also a few tidbits around the halo area, with the mounting points either side of the driver’s head rather extended in size to help provide the airflow with greater direction over the engine cover area.

The floor too features a range of interesting little details, with a small cut in its edge and a squared-off ‘Z-floor’ - similar to those seen in F1 last year – towards the rear. The exposed corners will also help produce airflow patterns to help seal the floor, protecting the underbody flow within the Venturi tunnels to ensure they retain their efficiency.

PLUS: How F1 teams tackled 2021's unique development war

At the rear, Red Bull has switched to a pushrod rear suspension format, opening up the floor space more for the Venturi tunnels to deliver the right amount of airflow expansion – creating the suction that can result in a high downforce yield. As such, the pushrod rockers are mounted on top of the gearbox/tailpipe area to accommodate the reworked suspension. Given that Red Bull popularised the shift to pullrod suspension at the rear, this is an interesting volte face from the team, and suggests that the team has been able to find plenty of gains in the pushrod switch.

As expected, it’s taken a very bold approach to the new F1 regulations, even if the front wing looks relatively conventional by the current standards compared to those we’ve already seen
The bodywork in this area bulges out to allow hot air to escape, as Red Bull has not opted to pepper its engine cover with any gill-like slots at this stage in time. This necessitates a larger exit, which has been positioned a little higher up in a bid to keep the beam wing open.

For the most part, the overall rear wing shape doesn’t show anything out of the ordinary at this stage, featuring a relatively flat mainplane. The central part of the upper flap features the V-shaped cutout to bleed off any wake from the DRS housing – which appears to conform to current style and sits within a singular wing mounting.

But although the sidepods are visually different to the other concepts seen in F1’s 2022 prologue, the rest of the car seems relatively conventional compared to the others. But it’s simply impossible to say if the car’s good simply from looking at it; especially as the most important part of the new regulations (the underbody) is naturally obscured from view. And if we do get a glimpse of a 2022 floor, something’s most likely gone very wrong.

max-verstappen-red-bull-racing-1.jpg
Underbody will be the most important element of new car design

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

As of the morning session in Barcelona’s shakedown it appears that the RB18 has good reliability out of the box, Verstappen logging 35 laps within the first hour and 30 minutes around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. That will be encouraging for Red Bull as it looks to build on its first title since 2013, especially as it also hopes to make another push for the constructors’ title after just missing out to Mercedes in 2021.

Like last year, the two teams couldn’t be any more different in philosophy; Mercedes opting for a tight rear-end package while Red Bull has sculpted its sidepods in a completely different fashion – just as the two were on the opposite sides of the rake spectrum across the past few seasons. And yet, there was nothing between the two teams last season.

As I write this, Mercedes and Red Bull sit separated by a tenth as George Russell and Verstappen have logged a similar number of laps around the Barcelona venue. Is that a harbinger of things to come once again in 2022 – or is Red Bull’s decision to keep its RB18 secrets until the very last minute a precursor to more secrets becoming apparent later on? At this stage, it’s impossible to say.

max-verstappen-red-bull-racing-1.jpg
Red Bull was reliable out of the box on Wednesday morning

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

[danegrey]

Day one morning times
1. Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m20.165s, C3, 80 laps
2. Norris (McLaren) 1m20.474s, C3, 50 laps
3. Russell (Mercedes) 1m20.784s, C3, 77 laps
4. Vettel (Aston Martin) 1m21.276s, C3, 52 laps
5. Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) 1m21.638s, C3, 43 laps
6. Verstappen (Red Bull) 1m22.246s, C2, 80 laps
7. Alonso (Alpine) 1m23.317s, C3, 54 laps
8. Latifi (Williams) 1m23.379s, C3, 66 laps
9. Mazepin (Haas) 1m26.455s, C2, 20 laps - Haas had a cooling leak and sensor issues
10. Kubica (Alfa Romeo) 1m25.909s, C3, 9 laps

[JARblue]

Damn... was hoping Mazepin would take out some other cars

[Spooler]

Hmm, No Hamilton.

[danegrey]

Concerns on for these teams
13. Mazepin (Haas) 1m24.505s, C2, 20 laps
14. Bottas (Alfa Romeo) 1m24.981s, C2, 10 laps
15. Kubica (Alfa Romeo) 1m25.909s, C3, 9 laps
16. Schumacher (Haas) 1m26.879s, 8 laps

Here is Hamilton
1. Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m20.165s, C3, 80 laps
2. Norris (McLaren) 1m20.474s, C3, 71 laps
3. Russell (Mercedes) 1m20.784s, C3, 77 laps
4. Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m21.032s, C3, 34 laps

The Race is saying this afternoon, is more about long runs