[Team] 2022 Car Launch and Testing Thread

[S griffin]

It doesn't really matter now, but then Merc only employ team orders when necessary, just Bottas was rarely on the pace of Hamilton

Anyway we don't have to worry about Sochi, we can forget about that GP this year!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

It doesn't really matter now, but then Merc only employ team orders when necessary, just Bottas was rarely on the pace of Hamilton

Anyway we don't have to worry about Sochi, we can forget about that GP this year!

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Was Prost held back from finishing races ahead of multiple champion Lauda? No. Was Hamilton held back from finishing races ahead of multiple champion Alonso? No. So why a different situation here...?

Well, they tried to hold back hamilton. Remember a while back, think it was Marc Priestly explaining that for the first few races they always used to overfuel hamilton in qualifying/ races, put him on harder tyres etc specifically so he wouldnt beat alonso....then as the season went on they realised he was quick enough to beat alonso so stopped doing that....then all hell broke loose

[bathurst77]

One result I will stake my reputation on right now
Merc will NOT win in Sochi 2022

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by morninggents

How many more could he have won if there had been no team orders?

A lot fewer than you might think, is my answer.

As has been said by me and others, we don't know how the Hamilton/Russell pairing will pan out. We don't know if Merc will require George to act from the outset as Lewis' wingman (but I believe we would all be incredibly disappointed if that were the case). A couple of early wins (or better results than his illustrious team mate) could make life interesting. For me though George offers a new young dimension and I hope a challenge for the WDC, if not this season, then perhaps next. The one thing that is obvious, whether Valteri had raw pace or not (which while being useful, doesn't win races and WDCs on it's own), he was never WDC material, even when he was driving the best car on the grid.

[steve_r]

Haas to miss first day of testing due to late arrival of freight. Seems a bit strange considering that the test that was known about months in advance.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Haas to miss first day of testing due to late arrival of freight. Seems a bit strange considering that the test that was known about months in advance.

Possibly even stranger is that all the freight for the fly-away races and official tests, of which this one is, all goes by charter aircraft that are organised for all the teams by either FOM or the FIA, and it is the responsibility of the teams to deliver all that they require to Heathrow by a certain time and day; I think that alternative arrangements apply to Ferrari and the other two European based teams.

So, I would therefore assume that Haas missed the flight, or that the other teams' freight on that plane (one of three or four) would also have to miss the first day.

[Greem]

The aircraft chartered to take their freight containers went tech at Istanbul Airport a couple of days ago, so they had to wait. I understand that they had to move their freight containers from Doncaster Airport to East Midlands, to be flown to Leipzig, to then get an onward flight to Bahrain.

So not really their fault at all.

[crmalcolm]

Talking car launches and testing, Mercedes to run a W13 with no side pods?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Talking car launches and testing, Mercedes to run a W13 with no side pods?

Is that within the rules?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Is that within the rules?

There is mandated side impact structures that are already exposed via bodywork bumps in some of the current tight designs. Those will always be there. It makes little sense to expose those significantly outside of the bodywork. The cooling and associated inlets (and radiators) have to exist somewhere. Be it on the sides or center. They can't disappear.

If true, I expect "zero sidepods" or "no sidepods" to maybe really just mean very tight or small sidepods, with a fatter center.

Richard

[broadrun96]

Possibly a design that makes them appear to be flush rather than coke bottle flared and tapered. The first design looked like Toto kicked it a couple times and sat on it for good measure.

[wnut]

Testing live:

https://the-race.com/f1-testing-2022-bahrain-day-1/

WTF1 watchalong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ek69Afnmk0

[S griffin]

Mercedes already getting ingenious with the rules. And I have to say I do love that shape of that sidepod. Some have compared to the 91 Modena-Lamborghini

[ascarracinguk]

Interesting 'sidepods' on the Merc.

Either theyve got their aero concept massively right, or massively wrong. I have no idea which yet!

[Mike Harte]

The BBC are reporting two things at the moment. One is that Horner has allegedly said that the Mercedes doesn't appear to be within the spirit of the rules or possibly illegal.

Secondly, due to the fact that HAAS have been delayed due to circumstances outside of their control, the FIA are considering, but have not yet decided, to allow them to continue testing, on their own, on Sunday.

[billy bleach]

[QUOTE=Mike Harte;4101906]The BBC are reporting two things at the moment. One is that Horner has allegedly said that the Mercedes doesn't appear to be within the spirit of the rules or possibly illegal.

If Horner is crying it must be legal ha ha ha brilliant

[crmalcolm]

So - what does it look like?





And previously:



So technically there are side-pods, but they are much reduced compared to the earlier test. Very narrow inlets, and it has set the (very much anticipated) 'observations' train running.


Ross Brawn “There are some very extreme interpretations of the regulations which could lead to a lot of debate. We did not anticipate the Mercedes concept.”
Christian Horner "[the shaped crash structure is]a step too far. That does not correspond to the spirit of the regulations. For us, these wings are illegal."



Reportedly, the FIA has looked at the Mercedes design and given it the all-clear. And it seems the FIA has also run it in CFD analysis and found it did not worsen the car’s wake.

**note - Red Bull are claiming that Horner has not spoken to anyone about the Mercedes design - personally I don't believe he would be able to keep quiet about it**

[Sodemo]

Which bit are they saying is illegal, the sticky-out wings near the mirrors?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Which bit are they saying is illegal, the sticky-out wings near the mirrors?

I would expect it to be anything that they'd not already thought of!

[bathurst77]

last week vs this week



https://ibb.co/MkyVFfD

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

There is mandated side impact structures that are already exposed via bodywork bumps in some of the current tight designs. Those will always be there. It makes little sense to expose those significantly outside of the bodywork. The cooling and associated inlets (and radiators) have to exist somewhere. Be it on the sides or center. They can't disappear.

If true, I expect "zero sidepods" or "no sidepods" to maybe really just mean very tight or small sidepods, with a fatter center.

Richard

Having seen the photos, I see what is meant by no sidepods.

[Sodemo]

Ah ok, so are they claiming the outer edge of the wing is the outer portion of the crash structure?

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Ah ok, so are they claiming the outer edge of the wing is the outer portion of the crash structure?

Correct the 'wing' is actually the crash structure that just has a shroud over it.

I wonder if this is the 'extreme' interpretation that may or may not have failed the crash tests first time around?

I love this sort of thing, innovation at its best. Thats not to say it will be quick, Merc could have gone completely the wrong way interpreting the rules here.

Seems like its legal though, ScarbsTech says he cant see any reason it wont be.

[crmalcolm]

As I'm looking at it - there seems to be a very small 'side-pod', which contains a thin vertical entrance and then cuts back into the body shortly after the inlets (at the point of the Petronas logo on the port side).
Above this is the crash structure, which also supports the mirror.

This crash structure seems to be the 'wing' that Red Bull are upset about.