with F1, In the foreground / by Anna Re / the 17 November 2013 all 19:14 /
Penultimate test session at the Austin circuit: we will see who studied well, apart from that nerd Vettel. Promoted, postponed and rejected among the "students" in competition. Opposite is a winter of intense and restorative study ...
From today, only one weekend separates the Formula teams 1 from the bell at the end of the F1 World Championship 2013. The FIA for the winter holidays did not fail to "impose" the dictates according to which to develop the car 2014. According to the new regulation, the single-seater cannot be developed (inserting or removing new components) during the four test sessions to be carried out during the season, approved for the championship 2014. A restriction that has a direct consequence: the teams will have to present the car on the track with the new components already installed, without being able to evaluate improvements or comparisons between different configurations during the test sessions.
For this reason, several teams use the latest races of the 2013 as test sessions, without giving up the maximum performance of the car in the current race.
Red Bull hasn't made any aerodynamic changes, but experiment with Polysil on circles (amorphous solid similar to liquid glass, with black mattifying pigment, used to improve thermal conductivity) with the intent to speed up the heating of the rims and keep the heat distribution constant. Mercedes experiments with new paints, to study the effect on aerodynamic flows. Williams and Sauber have modified the exhausts thus obtaining amazing performances (Valtteri Bottas not, Nico Hülkenberg room), but without making substantial changes, but by proposing solutions from the 2012.
Lotus will race with both single-seaters suitable for the Texan track, but already changed in perspective 2014, with the long wheelbase (wheelbase longer than 10 centimeters), the configuration preferred by Roman Grosjean and with an open air vent near the upper attachment of the rear suspension. The Ferrari reads everywhere about "monkey seat", "Front wing with upper flap", "Bridge side deflector" (we wrote it too): only to pronounce them would one have to enroll in a university training course, with personal assistant ...
The Circuit of the Americas requires more downforce: this is the purpose of the monkey seat and makes his debut in the car from Maranello at the Bahrain GP 2012. It is a very small aerodynamic appendage installed on the lower support of the rear wing, with the aim of directing the heat by improving the interaction of hot air that goes from the hood to the rear wing. The monkey seat in the final part of free practice was eliminated from Alonso's F138.
The front wing is designed to generate aerodynamic load and also to manage the air flows to direct the flow along the body of the car and minimize resistance to forward movement, decreasing the amount of air that impacts on the tread. This is the purpose of the front wing: the one mounted on Massa's car is that of the Singapore GP, the front wing with two blowholes on the top was tested on the Alonso car (upper flap), a solution inspired by Red Bull.
Finally, the bridge side deflector - used only in Abu Dhabi - has the purpose of directing the flow of the sides towards the final part. Lift decreases thanks to the particular "P" structure that flattens the flow, obtaining greater adherence to the car body in the lateral area. Another effect is to stabilize the car in the event of side gusts.
A solution used in practice sessions, but then eliminated in both cars for qualifying. We will see how much the "Allison cure" in Ferrari - with its assemblies-and-disassembles - will be able to reinvigorate hopes for second place in the constructors' classification.
All that remains is to wait for the 20 for the exam session: all on the starting grid ready for questions! Ballots later 56 laps ...
[Source: www.horsemoonpost.com]
