[ McLaren MCL32 ] text by tw
(This page Japanese page on February 24, 2017 in Japanese, English on February 25, 2017)
First of all, the machine name was not the conventional "MP 4" series, but was newly named "MCL 32".
The name that lasted from the 1980s was the series of "McLaren Project 4", but last year Ron Dennis was dismissed from McLaren's CEO and from 2017 it became a new era McLaren.
Tim Goss served as technical director of MCL 32 development.
On February 24, 2017, McLaren announced the 2017 machine "MCL 32".
See F1 Tsushin for the picture of "MP4-32".
Below, I will write my opinion from the photograph.
However, it was McLaren that ultimately decided the concept that machine performance depends on the power unit.
If the new power unit was disappointing, McLaren decided a risky choice that would all end ...
On the front wing there is still room for development as there is no vertical vane besides the cascade.
The splitter under the wing consists of the same straight Three as the other teams.
The front wing stay is long in the front and rear with four gap structures, and it is trying to lead a strong flow of energy toward the inside.
This aim is to increase the kinetic energy of the air current under the nose and to supply a stronger air current to the lower part of the car body.
The nose also adopts the nose hole of the S duct, and it activates the air current under the nose.
From the reflection condition of the light of the presentation site, the top of the nose looks like a shape that separates the airflow slightly to the left and right.
The Pitot sensor on the top of the nose upper is one. It is located behind the front suspension unit.
The mounting position of the push rod of the front suspension on the vehicle body side is as high as the nose upper surface.
From this, there is a possibility that the third damper (pitch controller) is attached to the underside of the 3D shaped locker.
There is still room to raise the position of the front suspension upper arm, the front wheel side, to the upper side.
As opposed to Mercedes, which has been highmounted and wishbone to the limit, MCL 32 has a low critical point.
Although the brake duct of the front wheel is divided into two stages, its function is unknown at this time.
The "vertical S-shaped pod wing" in front of the pod wing, which is prevalent under this new technical regulation, is a modest size.
If you seek aerodynamic performance in poverty, it is likely to be a larger size design, but ...?
The pod wing body covers only a little on the side pod and interference resistance is small.
In conjunction with this, intentional vortex flow is generated in the vertical small vane, and the lift of the side pod is alleviated.
The side crushable structure storage method on the side pod upper side may be increasing the thickness downward from the intake.
And this is the point of attention, but the side pod side lower part was narrowed.
For the new technical regulation this year, the width of the under plate became wide.
I ask about how to speed up the airflow on the side pod side surface and increase the shield with the underside of the car body.
For a wide under plate, I think that it is more effective to make the lower side of the side pod widest within the regulation.
The air intake position of the side pod is on the inner side, narrowing the air current outside the side pod.
However, this area does not contribute much to aerodynamics.
If I want a greed, what if you make a V type side pod when you see it from the front?
Why did they not be able to make the intake thin, wide?
That way the flow velocity at the lower part of the side pod side surface rises, contributing to the aerodynamics of the bottom of the car body ...
The induction pod is the slimest among the new cars at the moment.
I hope this does not indicate that the amount of intake air required by the engine is small ...
Shark fin has a large area.
The unique thing with the rear suspension is that the installation position of the unsprung side pull rod is located inside the car body.
This makes the operating angle of the rod better, but if there is not any contrivance, the rigidity of the upper arm is impaired.
Rear wing wing end plate has 4 longitudinal slits. It is a new design that connects the curved front part and the vertical rear part.
One rear wing stay is a swan neck. Shape separating into inverted U shape at the exhaust pipe.
MCL 32 can not feel weapons besides the concept of reducing internal ventilation resistance.
To be honest, the aerodynamic add-on is too simple, so it's a machine that worries about the level of development.
They have to work hard not only on the power unit but also on the chassis side in order to lead the development.
It seems that a major main sponsor is still absent, but is there a sufficient budget for McLaren?
Competitiveness will be lonesome if the budget was the reason for fewer aerodynamic add-ons of MCL 32.
Driver is Fernando Alonso and newly joined Stopel Bandon.
| McLaren MCL 32 specification | |
|---|---|
| mass | 728 kg (with driver included. Fuel is empty.) |
| Fuel tank capacity | 105 kg |
| Electronics | McLaren Applied Technologies made (Chassis control, power unit control, alternator, sensor, telemetry system) |
| Wireless device | Made by Kenwood |
| Steering | Power assist steering |
| brake | Akebono brake caliper & master cylinder. Rear only "Brake by wire" |
| tire | Made from Pirelli |
| wheel | Made of Enkey |
| Honda RA617H specification | |
|---|---|
| Minimum mass | 145 kg |
| Internal combustion engine displacement | 1.6 L |
| Number of cylinders | 6 |
| Number of valves | 4 valves per cylinder |
| Bank angle | 90 degree |
| Maximum rotation speed | 15,000 rpm |
| Maximum fuel flow rate | 100 kg / 1 hour |
| Fuel injection system | Direct injection (1 injection per cylinder. Max 500 bar) |
| turbo | Coaxial single stage compressor, turbine |
| Fuel & Lubricant | Made from BP Castrol |
| MGU-K specification | MGU-H specification | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum rotation speed | 50,000 rpm | 125,000 rpm |
| Maximum output | 120 kW | No limit |
| Maximum collection volume | 2 MJ per lap | No limit |
| Maximum release | 4 MJ per lap | No limit |
| Transmission specification | |
|---|---|
| Gear box | Casing made of vertically placed carbon fiber composite |
| Gear | Forward 8 speed + reverse 1 speed |
| Gear operation | Electric hydraulic seamless shift |
| Differential | Planetary Gear Type, Multiplate Limited Slip Diff |
| Lubricant | Made from BP Castrol |
Photograph of MCL 32 was added by F1 Tsushin.
The most noteworthy is the picture that shows the three dimensional shape of the side deflector and the picture from the top of the car body as a whole.
The side deflector of the 3D shape has a narrow lower part and an upper part apart from monocoque.
It functions as a turning vane and supplies a large amount of air current to the lower part of the vehicle body.
In the picture seen from the top, you can see two completely new border plates extending rearward from the side deflector.
A border plate extending long in the fore-and-aft direction is a new idea.
Because it changed the air flow of a large amount with the deflector, we can see the intention to stabilize the up and down movement of the air current with the long border plate in the front and back and then move to the under panel.
These two are important developments which greatly contribute to aerodynamic performance and may be expected from the aerodynamic performance of MCL 32 more than what I wrote last night at the top of this page.
However, it will be considered in the future, such as enlarging the size of S-shaped pod wings that are likely to become this year's trend.
And contrary to other teams, both sides of the side pod are made to move forward.
This is to cut the slit inside the under panel under the front side of the side pod while clearing the flat bottom regulation.
I have not yet thought of the merit of cutting a slit here, but it seems that it was adopted because there was a result in CFD and wind tunnel.
In addition, the camera mounting method next to the nose is not more aggressive than Mercedes, but has a slit that becomes a gap.
The position of the mini-vane at the front end of the upper side of the side pod spread to the left and right.
Each position of the vane is installed at a receding angle.
It seems like a flock of birds flying at V angle.
T wings became a two-tiered structure.
The shape of the left and right is U shape in the horizontal direction, and the tip end flow is beautiful.
In the direction of the blade section, the upper element generates downforce.
Type in which the lower element increases the amount of air flow supplied to the rear wing and is a downward flow.
In free practice, we applied a green paint to visualize the airflow course on the left rear of the car body, and confirmed the effect of aerodynamic design.
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