Mercedes F1 has not yet found the perfect balance in W13. According to Sky UK reporter Craig Slater, the Mercedes W13 is crazy about the unstoppable “porpoising” that creates a coupled up-and-down and pitching motion. In fact, all new cars suffer from this phenomenon to some extent.
In 2022 the F1 regulations were completely changed and the F1 team had to develop a new car with a completely new aerodynamic philosophy.
This is all done on the computer and in the wind tunnel and has been tested on the course with the start of the pre-season test.
Introduced in 2022, the ground effect effect plays an important role in the new generation F1 car, which is sucked into the ground by the airflow flowing through the aerodynamic tunnel under the machine, and the downforce generated there accounts for 50%. become.
However, one problem with ground effect cars is that the air has to stay under the machine. Older F1 cars used side skirts and stiff suspension to trap air, and downforce dragged the side skirts at high speeds.
It’s now important to adjust it in the front wing, but Mercedes hasn’t yet fully adjusted it in the W13.
“Mercedes tends to be a bit of a porpoising phenomenon. With proper adjustments between the floor and the front wing, the airflow is inseparable,” said Craig Slater.
Mercedes is bringing in a new floor on the second day of the F1 Barcelona test and may have taken some steps.
Category: Category: F1 / Mercedes / F1 machine