2014 F1 Mechanics/Aero; Design predictions to win the WCC/WDC. READ FIRST POST

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

So I did one of these for the 2012 season, skipped 2013 due to the rules not changing much and school taking up the bulk of my time for any other interesting threads. The 2014 thread talks about the new rules, the technical shake ups due to said rules, but also the mass jumping of ship by so many technical personal that has been big news in the F1 world nearly on par with drivers, car design will be massively looked at.

So I'd say the notable cars to look at are Mercedes, RBR, McLaren and Ferrari and with the driver lines ups that suit said cars will obviously help. Really quick though as far as drivers go, I'd say the weakest paring from the 4 teams at the top is McLaren and this due to Magnussen being a young gamble more so than Lewis. I worry that Jenson's being concerned about the task of dealing with torque and his very small car set up window may be an issue, or I may very well be surprised. I will also make note and say Lotus isn't in the top with others even after another great year due to the technical shakes up and massive need for money. So I can say we probably will get more 2011 Lotus than 2012/2013.

So now after this I've supplied videos and a supposed idea of what the RB10 will look like in the bottom, and leave the rest to you, I will update this periodically and anyone else that loves the technical side can do so as well. So discuss what you think will come about or what tech regs (e.g. aero, engine regs, even weight restrictions), and debate it out.

Also I will post up the FIA regs, but keep in mind fuel will have a restriction and that the gear ratios will be set among other things.

EDIT: Found a video that is speculating or claiming the mule la Ferrari in it is testing the 2014 F1 engine.


Suggested potential McLaren design from an outside company

 

[zippy_the_cat]

EDIT: Found a video that is speculating or claiming the mule la Ferrari in it is testing the 2014 F1 engine.

Slow build-up of revs. Turbo whine. Not horrible.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

No it's not and here is to hoping that more people join this thread so we can get technical

My current predictions for this upcoming season in order from 2013 WCC final standings
RBR- Will have a strong contender but I feel will have probably the most technical issues due to the limited weight not being to Newey's liking and and also having reliability issues due to a small package and new engine regs.

MAMGP- Will have a fast and stronger contender due to a better engine package than the rest and will be able to keep up a strong season due to new direction. Though Brawn was good, I think either him or someone else (Vowels maybe) in the system compromised the 3/4th to final portion of the season for MGP these past few years which is why that cant seal the deal or do better. However, we don't know they're tech director yet but with the powerful line up of cooks (engineers) there I have no doubt who ever it is will be good but the problem is all of them are senior technical directors so...Costa, Willis, Lowe, Vowels, Bob Bell.

Plus like Ferrari, they started early on with this car and had a group working on it so for me they are the team to beat.

Ferrari- Here is the problem I worry about for Mercedes, Rory Byrne and the fact he took over the key role for the 2014 challenger. That is a worry for me, the guy is good and an argument could be made that he is better than Newey or at least on an even level. Also people make fun of Merc for buying up many of the best head engineers, but the other half of the coin is Ferrari doing the same thing. Ferrari has Fry, Bigois(last two were at MGP), Tombazis, and of course James Allison (Lotus). So...I feel this is the other team to really watch.

Lotus- As my OP said I believe, I don't have much hope for them at this moment, mainly waiting for Australia but also the car release to further decide.

McLaren- Someone somewhere said something quite smart that I agreed with on the McLaren situation, they are coming off a bad season, and running Mercedes engines for one season only to switch to Honda. This is going to be an issue I feel due to having to start fresh while trying to keep Honda away so Merc doesn't feel cheated and vice versa.
Driver line up seems alright but I'm holding off for testing to see how strong Magnussen is, and the sponsorship that will take over Vodafone. I feel they could have a good car but politics and their main engine supplier joining a year after the dust begins to settle on the engine regs...

Force India- Great season at the start obviously were harmed by the tire change debacle of the season. If they keep up with what they did early 2013 and have effective changes they should do well perhaps like 2012, and with Hulk back and potentially Perez joining the line up shouldn't be too bad.

Sauber- Like Lotus I feel that not even getting a handle on the car and having a good driver in Hulk at the end of the season will help them. The financial woes are an issue, the fact they are pushing the 17 year old Russian (though as I said in another thread probably wont get the seat) are worries. The saving grace I don't know what it will be...

STR- Really don't care, someone else can add their opinion on this one.

Williams- I care but I've lost hope in this long beloved team that I can't really say anything other than I feel the small rear end package will work better with the new regs. I just hope they have something for Felipe and it isn't grabbing head lines have another race winning Former Ferrari driver in their camp.

Marussia- They seem to be trying a whole lot more than Caterham, so I really hope they move into the lower mid tier pack and fight for at least a point or two on a regular basis. As I've said for Caterham I think attrition will help.

Caterham- I hope that this slow and steady build up actually happens in 2014 that was building up from 2012 (2010 realistically). I feel it's more PR, but I hope not. I want to see some real battles with Marussia and for at least 10th on the grid or 9th if lucky. Attrition should help the two, but if they rather be a back-marker comfortable with their current pace...

 

[DK]

Uh...Massa's going to Williams, not Sauber.

I think the gearbox ratios staying the same for the whole season might help Marussia and Caterham to steal their first points next year, personally I see Mercedes being a potential challenger, but I hope they won't fade away towards the end like they've done in seasons past.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Uh...Massa's going to Williams, not Sauber.

I think the gearbox ratios staying the same for the whole season might help Marussia and Caterham to steal their first points next year, personally I see Mercedes being a potential challenger, but I hope they won't fade away towards the end like they've done in seasons past.

Thanks, I got it mixed up, I forgot the senior driver that will end up at Sauber seems to be Adrian Sutil but we'll have to wait and see.

As for Mercedes I'd love to think that they'll be stronger without Brawn there later in the season. I love the work Brawn did in F1 and Sports car racing but I think it was due to his style of running the team and being use to preparing for the upcoming season, rather than fighting through out the current season that made his teams weak. I mean at Honda he didn't have the support needed and usually played a game of development earlier than most for the upcoming seasons and then did the same with Mercedes, though this year was different. I don't know I might be totally off base with this idea though.

Also that was a good comment about the gear ratios helping Marussia and Caterham.

 

[aarror]

If I were Caterham/Marrusia, I would gear up for either Spa/Monza or Singapore/Monaco. That way you're either gonna have an advantage at high or low speed circuits.

Edit: Should mention I still think fixed gear ratios is a terrible idea. Gonna be bad for the engines at high speed tracks when they're bouncing off the rev limited halfway down the straight.

 

[DK]

I predict a lot of teams are going to use 8th gear as a sort of "overdrive" gear, and it won't see much use outside of Spa/Monza.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I predict a lot of teams are going to use 8th gear as a sort of "overdrive" gear, and it won't see much use outside of Spa/Monza.

Yeah that's probably what will go down.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I've been wondering if the teams will find a new way to direct exhaust fumes to their benefit. It's where a lot of F1 car development has been put within the last couple of years and I can't imagine not going away anytime soon. That said, the restrictions in place don't really seem to leave much, if any, room for imagination but who knows. Blown "monkey seats", maybe? These guys are very clever and I wouldn't put much past them!

 

[Alex.]

Double points in the final round from next season onwards
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111795

 

[sems4arsenal]

Double points in the final round from next season onwards
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111795

What the? why

 

[AnAL0G]

What the? why

I guess so that a team that is leading all year can really mess it up in the final round and be overtaken? Makes me think they believe Red Bull will likely continue their dominance.

 

[Alex.]

Vettel wins there every year. This is not going to help anyone.

 

[sems4arsenal]

I guess so that a team that is leading all year can really mess it up in the final round and be overtaken? Makes me think they believe Red Bull will likely continue their dominance.

Hardly seems fair does it.

 

[Peasantslayer]

I can't believe it, F1 doesn't care about its hard core fans they just want to make it into a show to try and get people who couldn't care less about F1 more interested.

 

[Ardius]

I'm very surprised no one has commented on these yet. I mean....whaaaaaaaaat?! It just looks so..so wrong! Which idiot decided these regulations? (assuming the cars do end up looking like this)

 

[Alex.]

I'm just quietly praying they'll look better.

 

[AnAL0G]

The nose is atrocious.

 

[zippy_the_cat]

Vettel wins there every year. This is not going to help anyone.

Lewis and Kimi beg to differ.

 

[Alex.]

One of them was due to Vettel getting a puncture, can't remember the other reason.

 

[Azure Flare]

I really hope the FIA steps in to ban the schlong-nose.

But I want 50 points awarded to the driver who manages to crash into another car and it gets lodged in the other car's exhaust.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Double points in the final round from next season onwards
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111795

This really pissed me off an others, also I have hope in Lotus not having such a bad season this upcoming year.

I've been wondering if the teams will find a new way to direct exhaust fumes to their benefit. It's where a lot of F1 car development has been put within the last couple of years and I can't imagine not going away anytime soon. That said, the restrictions in place don't really seem to leave much, if any, room for imagination but who knows. Blown "monkey seats", maybe? These guys are very clever and I wouldn't put much past them!

Monkey seats are gone Cap'n

One of them was due to Vettel getting a puncture, can't remember the other reason.

Because Lewis was actually faster and so was Kimi, but being fast one time or twice out of the year isn't enough to win a Championship when Vettel does it 8-10 times in that same year. So I agree with you sadly, that it doesn't matter.

Since I've been busy with my Finals I didn't get the chance to update the new technical members Williams have now.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Monkey seats are gone Cap'n

I'll break the bad news to the monkeys then.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I'll break the bad news to the monkeys then.

Best do it quick, like pulling off a band-aid. You know how they can get

 

[Alex.]

Now THAT is a turbo

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Now THAT is a turbo

You mean that thing that looks about the size of our heads

Sad considering how many bars they set it at.

 

[Alex.]

I don't understand why they don't run a stupidly high boost limit rule in conjunction with the engine unit limit. That would make for a great variable in strategy and race craft. You can have the turbo chucking out mad boost but much more likely to break. It wouldn't be using extra fuel, what's the issue?

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I don't understand why they don't run a stupidly high boost limit rule in conjunction with the engine unit limit. That would make for a great variable in strategy and race craft. You can have the turbo chucking out mad boost but much more likely to break. It wouldn't be using extra fuel, what's the issue?

Because they don't want to make the kind of power we know they could easily produce that would have crushed the V8 bhp numbers, and in effect make the fuel limit, engine limit (now lower than before) for the year, transmission gearing set limit, and other parts moot. They want to show case this idea of being the pinnacle but doing so in a environmentally sound way and making it difficult on teams to the point where entertainment comes forth.

How would it not be using extra fuel though if it's generating more power? I agree with you they should do it but I just didn't understand that one part.

 

[Alex.]

I was under the impression it would change the compression ratio of fuel to air in the cylnider so that it's just the same fuel used to ignite more air than before, resulting in a greater energy transaction and therefore more power, as the air is more compressed by a greater boost from the turbo

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I was under the impression it would change the compression ratio of fuel to air in the cylnider so that it's just the same fuel used to ignite more air than before, resulting in a greater energy transaction and therefore more power, as the air is more compressed by a greater boost from the turbo

Well if they tune it for that not necessarily because you don't want to run into a set up that is too lean or too rich for a few reasons respective to both side. The adjustments would have to be made for that amount of PSI coming through to the proper ratio of fuel to burn in it and thus if the air mixture increases so would the fuel.

Edit:

Also if I recall the idea is to run a richer setup then a more lean (the type you described) due to it causing less heat and the potential for internals to warp and what not.