What's this white stuff on the Mercedes?

I've noticed this layer of white/grey coating on the Mercedes since the start of the season. What is it? Teflon?
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Cocaine?.....

Seriously, I noticed that too; I guess it's similar to the "green paint" we've seen, but with a lot more viscosity (?)

Cheers,
Ian

 

Briatore back in f1?

 

Primer over-spray - A classic sign of a cheap paint job!

 

ceramic brake dust?

 

Probabbly flow vis - used to map air as it travels over the car. or more precisely as it is laminated to the car.

if you are having brake temp issues - either too hot or cold you want to see how the air is flowing off the front wing into the brake ducts.

the front wing is loaded with sensors that detect deflection and "taps"... confirming aero load.

 

I think you're on the right track.
Ash from the brakes is my guess.

Edit; Tom's idea sounds more plausible. Air flow would be backward what I guessed.
Sure does look like Earl Scheib's overspray though.

 

it's obviously not flo-vis, well one because it doesn't flow...and two because it's been applied in race trim for sundays.

i believe it's some kind of teflon coating to help prevent debris/rubber from obstructing and sticking itself to the ducts and its opening.

 

+1

They had it in China too, and the commentators said then it was to prevent a repeat of Nico's Aus (Bahrain?) problem.

 

I don't know what it is, but if we get two or three more posts on this thread, I can pretty much guarantee there'll be a sponsor logo on that stuff by next race.

 

lol - that was good.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Tell me about it, my last Merc looked like it had been painted by FIAT.

 

Looks as though the area was sanded.

 

The white/grey substance has been sprayed on - You can see that by the over-spray on the small aerofoil and on the suspension arm.

The worn away parts are most likely from either the mechanic touching it with his hands whilst working on the car, or debris hitting it whilst the car was on track.

As others have said, it's not hi-viz flow paint because it blatantly hasn't flowed onto those parts.

 

I didn't mean it was some kind of flow-viz paint, rather that it had the same kind of objectives; See what the air flow's doing.

Cheers,
Ian

 

But it doesn't appear to show anything going on with the air flow, apart from some slight wear at the front edge of the brake duct intake.

Whatever the substance is, it's been sprayed onto the area (and the surrounding area with the over-spray), and then just dried out where it is.

Perhaps Mercedes are just spraying primer onto this area in the hope that their rivals will waste time, energy and money trying to work out if Mercedes have hit upon some sort of secret concept!

 

Lol!

 

Nahh,just something Elton is sniffing....

 

I would think it is a thin coat of paint used to show cracks. Obviously those parts have been relaminated (or enforced) and that paint would show any kind of crack or delamination.

That would be he reason for Americas Cup yachts at least.

Might be "the typical spot" for debris and stuff to impact, hence the monitoring with a thin layer of paint.