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[darwin dali]

ESPNF1:
A feature of Ferrari's heavily-upgraded F10 car in Valencia next weekend will reportedly be Red Bull-style exhausts.

Rival teams initially thought an illegal ride-height control system was the secret of the RB6's speed, but it is now believed that the layout of the rear of the car - including low-mounted exhausts and pull-rod suspension - is the basis of its success. Spain's AS newspaper reports that the updated F10 will be between three and four tenths per lap quicker than the basic specification raced in Turkey and Canada. The report also said the change represents a fundamentally new aerodynamic direction for the car, opening up a new avenue for subsequent development.

"The most important improvement in Valencia is not what we achieve there, but the way it opens up developments to be stronger for the remainder of the season," Fernando Alonso confirmed.

As well as the lower exhausts, updates will feature modified rear suspension as the team shifts its focus away from the tricky and time consuming F-duct.

"For sure there is a need for a more aggressive push," said Domenicali. "It was clear that we had concentrated too much effort on this blown rear wing [F-duct] - we spent a lot of effort there, being not focused on the other areas of the car. From Valencia onwards the focus will be to develop other areas of the car apart from this blown rear wing, because it is a complicated system that took a lot of resources out of our team."

He added: "Looking at the championship, it is very, very open. I did a calculation that if we had won the race [in Canada] we would be leading the championship with Fernando. It means that everything is really very, very open and that is the motivation that we should have inside to make sure that we push race-by-race. Canada gave a picture that was totally different from the picture we had two weeks ago."


Very interesting to see a comparison...

[f1ea]

Hopefully these updates work! it will be VERY interesting for the season if there are 3 competitive teams.

[vaptin]

Mark Hughes has written a blog about this, for the bbc:

Valencia's demands are similar to those of Montreal, although it does demand a little more downforce. So the Ferrari should be set to be competitive again anyway.

But it is likely to be even more so, given that it receives a major aerodynamic upgrade that the team is very excited about based on what they have seen in the wind tunnel. Central to this is a new Red Bull-like exhaust-blown rear end.

Ferrari are said to have been staggered when they saw in the tunnel just how much this feature improved things.

Other teams are also working on their own versions - with McLaren, Renault and Williams expected to introduce their versions at Silverstone but that gives Ferrari a one race head start.

If it all works as well as the tunnels suggests and Red Bull cannot find a similarly sized chunk from a car that already has this feature, we could well be looking at a very serious title challenge from Ferrari into the second half of the season.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 740057.stm

[What's Burning?]

I did a calculation that if we had won the race [in Canada] we would be leading the championship with Fernando. It means that everything is really very, very open and that is the motivation that we should have inside to make sure that we push race-by-race. Canada gave a picture that was totally different from the picture we had two weeks ago."

I think he means that if Fernando won AND Jenson Button came in 3rd, Ferrari would be winning the WDC.

[7UpJordan]

Williams are apparently using this too according to Patrick Head, but it probably won't work.

[Ace-Rimmer]

its not exactly a new concept, Maclaren (newey design) used to have the exhaust exit into the diffuser on the 99 and 00 cars if I remember correctly, Hakkinen said the only problem was you had to use full throttle to get the maximum out of it and if you had to lift mid corner for oversteerr etc it compounded the problem by reducing downforce as you lifted too!

[f1ea]

its not exactly a new concept, Maclaren (newey design) used to have the exhaust exit into the diffuser on the 99 and 00 cars if I remember correctly, Hakkinen said the only problem was you had to use full throttle to get the maximum out of it and if you had to lift mid corner for oversteerr etc it compounded the problem by reducing downforce as you lifted too!

It can probably be designed for another throttle position... for example 75%. Doesnt mean it doesnt work at higher or lower throttle.. just that it isnt as effective.

[f1usa]

Ferrari using exhaust diffuser may be the answer since f-duct was a failure. On the same token, I can see McLaren using exhaust diffuser on high downforce tracks but not on high speed tracks where f-duct is an advantage. In effect building Lewis and Jenson two exhaut diffuser units with engine/tranny/diffuser as bolt-on units to the monocoque.

[The Ram]

The strength is not really the exhaust in and of itself, but the shape of the surfaces behind it. The top of the redbull gearbox is as flat as a table, this means their beam wing gets good air flow, and diffuser is more effective. The exhaust now, is not directly blowing in the throat of the diffuser, only a portion of the gases blow through a side slot that leads to the upper diffuser and another portion is used as an "air curtain" around the edges of the floor.

[texasmr2]

Cool pic.

[What's Burning?]

In that pic, the brake caliper is on the bottom of the disk I've NEVER seen that. Is that to keep the mass of the caliper low and therefore help lower the center of gravity?

[Gaz]

In that pic, the brake caliper is on the bottom of the disk I've NEVER seen that. Is that to keep the mass of the caliper low and therefore help lower the center of gravity?

yeh i expect so bit iffy for cooling tho?

[texasmr2]

The caliper is not in the normal position and I think the reason is twofold, one to offer more top area for the cooling ducts and the calipers position on the disc recieves less rotational force. If you look at alot of the caliper positions on alot of very high performance roadcars you will see that the calipers are not in the old 10 o'clock position anymore but set in more of a 5 o'clock position.

[Gaz]

The caliper is not in the normal position and I think the reason is twofold, one to offer more top area for the cooling ducts and the calipers position on the disc recieves less rotational force. If you look at alot of the caliper positions on alot of very high performance roadcars you will see that the calipers are not in the old 10 o'clock position anymore but set in more of a 5 o'clock position.

on my car there at 3 o'clock on a F430 they are at 3 also? on a Zonda they are at 3 also?

[bud]

The caliper is not in the normal position and I think the reason is twofold, one to offer more top area for the cooling ducts and the calipers position on the disc recieves less rotational force. If you look at alot of the caliper positions on alot of very high performance roadcars you will see that the calipers are not in the old 10 o'clock position anymore but set in more of a 5 o'clock position.

on my car there at 3 o'clock on a F430 they are at 3 also? on a Zonda they are at 3 also?

it would have to be for the cooling ducts