2020 F1 car launches

Mercedes PU changes/updates - Interesting approach to cooling.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148259/mercedes-details-engine-changes-for-2020


Mercedes has focussed on improving the cooling package of its 2020 Formula 1 car, which has been helped by the new engine operating at a higher temperature to last year's.

Last year's car had cooling issues that the team could not fully address during the season, because of a limitation with radiator capacity.

The weakness was especially apparent at the Austrian Grand Prix, when extremely hot weather compromised the overall performance of the car.

"We've improved the cooling package," said technical director James Allison.

"We've created more face area - so more actual radiator area in the car - which is a difficult thing to do mid-season without incurring quite a lot of penalty.

"But between the years you can do it and it won't cost you except a little bit of weight.

"We've also benefitted from an investment that HPP [High Performance Powertrains, Mercedes' engine division] have made on our behalf.

"They've worked to raise the operating temperature of the engine which eases the cooling burden on us because the hotter the fluid, the less radiator you need to cool it."

HPP engine boss Andy Cowell explained that the process had begun last year - even before Austria - but the team has taken another step in 2020.

Cowell also stressed that the engine side of the team has to help the chassis side: "As Power Unit engineers we don't just focus on crankshaft power, we also focus a tremendous amount on the packaging and reducing the overheads for the aerodynamicist, so that they can mainly focus on keeping the car planted through the corner."

Despite the maturity of the hybrid V6 rules, Mercedes is continuing to find gains by exploring every detail.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

"We're in the seventh year of the technical regulations for the Power Unit and it gets tougher and tougher to find performance gains under stable regulations," Cowell added.

"So we have had to develop an even wider area of the PU. We have looked at every single system.

"We have looked at improving our combustion efficiency, our drive systems and the ancillary systems on the PU.

"But we have also worked on things like the efficiency of the electric motor, the power module efficiency, and the pure conversion efficiency.

"We have investigated the losses that occur as we transmit energy around the power unit, we've been trying to reduce friction and bearing losses through coating work, and we have also reduced the heat rejection to the car."

Mercedes has also placed a focus on reliability after some issues in 2019, although world champion Lewis Hamilton finished the season without penalty.

"We were very pleased and proud of the reliability achieved with Lewis' hardware," said Cowell.

"But we were saddened by the low-life failures that we experienced with other drivers and that's what we are focusing on.

"We are concentrating on understanding the reasons, the quality issues that we encountered and we are working hard to make sure we have got robust containment in place based on the root cause of those issues.

"Twenty-two races mean one power unit needs to do eight races, so there is an increase in the number of cycles that all the hardware needs to do, putting an even bigger emphasise on reliability."

 

Overall view of the Mercedes - https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/28698746/new-mercedes-f1-car-hits-track-silverstone

 

what a change for Alpha Tauri, wow! Now instead of confusing the Red Bull and Toro Rosso 4 cars, we'll have people get confused referring to Alfa/Alpha 4 cars!

 

That's a good looking ride

 

Why did TR change names?

 

I know its old, but my favorite era!!

 

What is Alpha Tauri?
Alpha Tauri is the name of Red Bull's clothing company, launched in 2016. The company is based in Austria.

Link to new team info - https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/28703022/how-do-pronounce-alpha-tauri-all-need-know-f1-new-team

 

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alphatauri-red-bull/

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has said that AlphaTauri will be treated as Red Bull’s “sister” team, rather than “junior”.

The Toro Rosso name which had been ever-present in Formula 1 since 2006 has been consigned to the archives – the team are now known as AlphaTauri and they revealed their 2020 challenger, the AT01, on Friday.

Toro Rosso were used as a junior team for Red Bull – a way for the Austrian team to give their junior drivers a seat in F1 before one day stepping up to the senior squad if they impressed.

 

The wheelbase length is just ridiculous, last year’s Mercedes had a wheelbase of 143 inches compared with around 100 inches for the cars from the late 1970s. For comparison a Maybach only has a wheelbase of 131 inches. They have just gotten too big.

 

That could provide a platform for Vettel to drive with a team that has a shot.

 

Redbull family do not appear to see Vettel round 2 as a fit. If he has down year again he might be lucky to go Alfa. Assumption is he will want such a role

 

It's good they took it before Lancelot got his hands on it, it won't llok so sleek after that

 

Interesting synchronization of 2 series efforts by Mercedes - https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148283/mercedes-fe-project-now-benefit-to-f1-after-strain

Mercedes High Performance Powertrains boss Andy Cowell says the company's Formula 1 programme is now benefitting from its Formula E involvement, even though running parallel programmes was initially "a strain".

The manufacturer announced in July 2017 that it would enter Formula E for the 2019-2020 season, and the powertrain used by Mercedes' FE cars has been developed alongside the F1 engine at HPP's Brixworth base.

Cowell said lessons learned from the FE development have already benefited Mercedes' six-time title-double-winning F1 programme.

"Formula E is a fascinating championship with the electric machine as the only device propelling the car," said Cowell.

"The efficiencies of that electric machine, the inverter and all the control systems are paramount, and the torque accuracy delivery is crucial.

"Some of the development learning there has now fed back into F1, so from Melbourne this year, our F1 hybrid system will benefit from our Formula E development work.

"We've also made some manufacturing improvements that originate in the FE programme.

"We manufacture our own electric machines and some of the techniques developed for Formula E are being applied to the F1 electric machines this year as well.

"This is exciting to see; in the past, we've seen gains from the Project One [hypercar] development feed back into F1, now we are also seeing Formula E engineering and manufacturing technology feeding back into F1."

Image Unavailable, Please Login

Cowell conceded, however, that splitting personnel between the two projects was difficult at first.

"Having two highly competitive series to do engineering work on is initially a strain, because it takes a period of time to find the right people for the new series," he said.

"Some of those people have transferred from the F1 team, some have been recruited from outside.

"However, I think overall it is a benefit because it provides opportunities for careers to flourish on new technology, on a new series and now we are seeing the ideas flow between both.

"Both powertrains will benefit as a consequence."

 

Heh heh. Perhaps he has a new anti-fog visor.

 

that's erm. A challenging paint job.

 

probably the only thing about that car that will challenge anything or anyone

 

When is Ferrari going to do their (ahem) filming day?

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

McLaren's better looking car,