[Team] The 2012 F1 CAR LAUNCH THREAD

[rantanamo]

you can clearly see that both the Mp4/26 and mp4/27 have a nose that is lower than the top of the front tires as it passes them, while most other teams don't. Red Bull is included as a 2011 car that had a nose higher than the front tires, so I would either suspect a step or going with a McLaren like lower nose

[Peralta]

My sources tell me the new RedBull will not have the ugly nose that you have seen in all the cars but the McLaren.

[Lotusonpole]

Originally Posted by Peralta

My sources tell me the new RedBull will not have the ugly nose that you have seen in all the cars but the McLaren.

If Red Bull and McLaren start where they left off, i.e. winning, when the season starts, how long will it be before the other teams do a bit of cosmetic surgery and give their cars a nose job ditching the duck bills?

Or indeed visa versa if RB and McL don't do as well?

I agree the Lotus is the best looking of the new style nose jobs so far.

[marcel82]

Originally Posted by Lotusonpole

If Red Bull and McLaren start where they left off, i.e. winning, when the season starts, how long will it be before the other teams do a bit of cosmetic surgery and give their cars a nose job ditching the duck bills?

Or indeed visa versa if RB and McL don't do as well?

I agree the Lotus is the best looking of the new style nose jobs so far.

they'll probably start redeveloping after the first GP (or even sooner, depending on test results), but it'll be a while until they'll get results. the nose is pretty vital to the design of the car, radically changing it's design is not a "quick fix".

look at Williams walrus-nose a few years back. though it didn't take them long to figure out it didn't work, the season was nearly over when they finally got round to changing it effectively.

[wolfhound]

To redesign the front of is not the work of a moment as the ugly noses have a much higher chassis that that of the McLaren.
To lower the nose of the car like the McLaren would basically need a new chassis and a new aero concept.
It will be interesting to see who will be right or has the best compromise.

[steve nielsen]

The Sauber C31



the nose of the Torro Rosso:

[Mr V]

Great to see the Sauber inundated with sponsers again !

[mini1400]

Originally Posted by Peralta

My sources tell me the new RedBull will not have the ugly nose that you have seen in all the cars but the McLaren.

http://t.co/pbXK5qeo

Stepped...

[Marbot]

Yep! RB has stepped Snoz.

[Spritle]

My money is on Newey being right and a certain other team being "out of step"...

... pardon the pun.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Peralta

My sources tell me the new RedBull will not have the ugly nose that you have seen in all the cars but the McLaren.

It seems that McLaren are still alone with the non-stepped nose, and because the chassis they have is already lower than any other chassis at the point where the regulations say the height of the nose should drop to meet the new regulation, it will not be able to incorporate the stepped-nose into its design, because it cannot change the tub, which is homologated.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Marbot

It seems that McLaren are still alone with the non-stepped nose, and because the chassis they have is already lower than any other chassis at the point where the regulations say the height of the nose should drop to meet the new regulation, it will not be able to incorporate the stepped-nose into its design, because it cannot change the tub, which is homologated.

...and they dont need to!....

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by Marbot

the regulations say the height of the nose should drop to meet the new regulation, it will not be able to incorporate the stepped-nose into its design, because it cannot change the tub, which is homologated.

Given the large number of designers of the different cars on the grid, I find it quite interesting that the teams have all reacted to the change in regulations in the same way (with a stepped nose) instead of re-profiling the whole nose from the cockpit forward.

I wonder if this is a direct result of the regulations stating max heights at different locations, or whether this is simply a case of allowing enough room for the driver's feet and the safety structure that surrounds them? If the latter, would smaller driver = longer drooped nose?

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

...and they dont need to!....

Maybe, maybe not.

But it's obvious that there are 2 schools of thought here. McLaren think that the nose should not have a step in it, whereas everyone else thinks that it should. Maybe if either Marussia or HRT have a non-stepped nose, McLaren can breathe a sigh of relief?

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Maybe, maybe not.

But it's obvious that there are 2 schools of thought here. McLaren think that the nose should not have a step in it, whereas everyone else thinks that it should. Maybe if either Marussia or HRT have a non-stepped nose, McLaren can breathe a sigh of relief?

theres no school of thought.....the tubs are homologated, mclarens has always been low, everyone elses have been higher....ergo everyone needs a step apart from mclaren

[Lotusonpole]

Originally Posted by marcel82

they'll probably start redeveloping after the first GP (or even sooner, depending on test results), but it'll be a while until they'll get results. the nose is pretty vital to the design of the car, radically changing it's design is not a "quick fix".

look at Williams walrus-nose a few years back. though it didn't take them long to figure out it didn't work, the season was nearly over when they finally got round to changing it effectively.

That's true.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by m1fcf

Given the large number of designers of the different cars on the grid, I find it quite interesting that the teams have all reacted to the change in regulations in the same way (with a stepped nose) instead of re-profiling the whole nose from the cockpit forward.

I wonder if this is a direct result of the regulations stating max heights at different locations, or whether this is simply a case of allowing enough room for the driver's feet and the safety structure that surrounds them? If the latter, would smaller driver = longer drooped nose?

Most of the teams have kept the nose as high as the regulations allow, all the way from the cockpit to the point where the new regulation says that the nose needs to drop. This means that the space underneath the nose allows the greatest air flow underneath the car, whilst still allowing adequate room for the drivers legs and feet. In other words, the drivers legs and feet are situated lower in the McLaren for no other reason than what they feel is for an aerodynamic benefit.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

theres no school of thought.....the tubs are homologated, mclarens has always been low, everyone elses have been higher....ergo everyone needs a step apart from mclaren

The tubs are homologated at the start of the season, so McLaren could have built a tub that allowed a stepped nose, as indeed so could all the other teams have built a tub that doesn't need a stepped nose. You cannot then change the tub at any point during the same season.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Marbot

The tubs are homologated at the start of the season, so McLaren could have built a tub that allowed a stepped nose, as indeed so could all the other teams have built a tub that doesn't need a step nosed. You cannot then change the tub at any point during the same season.

true, but i think its been stated somewhere else that for mclaren to change theyd need to completely redesign their concept from the last few years

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

true, but i think its been stated somewhere else that for mclaren to change theyd need to completely redesign their concept from the last few years

And maybe that will be their undoing. I hope not because we need a team that can take it to Red Bull consistently throughout the season.

[Chaynes321]

Hi all i just did this quickly FYI



See the red box for difference in nose height

[Marbot]

The McLaren's is well below the maximum height allowed.

It's the height of the chassis/tub just behind the front tyres that is most telling.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Marbot

And maybe that will be their undoing. I hope not because we need a team that can take it to Red Bull consistently throughout the season.

see i see it the other way around, every other team has had to sacrifice their design philosiphy where as mclaren have kept theirs that has proven successful

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

see i see it the other way around, every other team has had to sacrifice their design philosiphy where as mclaren have kept theirs that has proven successful

If that were the case, we would have seen at least one other team take a step in that direction. None have, which tells me that the majority still think that their philosophy is the correct one. We shall soon see.

[Chaynes321]

I adjusted the image ^