vendredi 25 avril 2008

GP BAHRAIN : Technical News part 2

BMW Sauber F1.08 - front barge board development

As Sakhir is a medium-to-fast track, it is important to minimise the drag generated by the various aerodynamic surfaces impacting the airflow passing over the car. Even the smallest parts can produce drag that affects a car's straight-line performance, hence BMW Sauber's changes to the barge boards immediately behind the F1.08's front wheels. The vertical shields are now lower at the front (yellow dotted line indicates previous shape) and the small horizontal fin has been extended rearwards, so as to better direct and split in two the airflow exiting from beneath the front wing. This change may seem small, but it reduces turbulence noticeably at high speed.

Ferrari F2008 - cooling vent for rear dampers

In Malaysia we looked at Renault's semi-circular vent over the R28's damper housing. In Bahrain the Ferrari sported a similar, perhaps slightly more complex, feature. At the end of the F2008's very short and narrow engine cover we can see three separate vents (green arrows). The central one relates to a small gearbox radiator, placed above the gearbox case, between the two suspension rockers. The rockers are covered by a tight, thin, carbon fibre skin that wraps them in a way so as to help reduce as much as possible the dimensions of the rear bodywork. The two rounded side vents help extract the hot air that would otherwise increase the danger of overheating the suspension elements, especially the dampers and rockers. These carefully designed vents show just how vital attention to detail is in ensuring reliability.

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