An exclusive insight into the Mercedes W09 on track in Barcelona at F1 testing
Rear Aerodynamics
Flowviz illustrates how Mercedes manage the airflow. Note the underside of the two rear wing elements and how the air remains attached
The W09 has a highly developed Aerodynamic package to ultimately improve performance. Flowviz was used during F1 testing on the underside of the rear wing and illustrates how effective the Aerodynamics are, maintaining flow attachment across both rear wing elements. The slits at the base of each rear wing endplate are angled and staggered to streamline the flow.
Another interesting area is the curved elements surrounding the top of the diffuser. Again these are angled and you can see how this rotates the air flowing through the slits, most likely to guide air around the tyre. Note the amount of wake a small bracket can cause, increasing drag, which is why so much effort is put into refining Aerodynamics
The aerofoil-shaped suspension struts keep the flow attached, minimising drag
Another method teams use to monitor the behaviour of airflow are pressure rakes (pictured below). These are essentially grids consisting of an array of pressure sensors. Here, the pressure rake is measuring the resultant wake from the tyres.
A pressure rake to measure the behaviour of the flow surrounding the tyre wake and the rear of the car
The housing for the tubes from the pressure rake, along with the mounting need to have minimal disturbance with the airflow, ot...