[Monster Hesh]

The more you look the more stands out



Not sure about perspective correction, but a nice overlay to give folks a clue to difference and relation.

[morini]

The more you look the more stands out

What stand out for you there Hesh? For me that photo shows how tightly packaged the rear of the Ferrari is compared to the Williams.

[Monster Hesh]

The suspension as Jody noted and the floor profiling. Also as you state, the Ferrari seems tighter, which is not what I expected, due to the angled view of the whole car I posted earlier, where they seemed to be very tight after halfway.

[Jody Barton]

Hesh, remember the Williams has a deep undercut in the sidepods, something Ferrari didn't do last year. So they're going the RBR Merc route from the first third back, it'll be interesting to see if Ferrari go that route. Also the convergence on the Ferrari philosophy just confirms what I think we all knew...

The Ferrari had the best chassis / overall philosophy last year. Expecting the Merc to look very similar.

[morini]

Expecting the Merc to look very similar.

I'm not sure I completely agree with you on this one Jody. Merc took their own path last year, ran a flatter car because it worked for them at more tracks than not over the whole season. Granted, they had to "suck it up" at a couple of the slower twisty tracks like Monaco, Hungaroring, Singapore, but overall they had the performance edge over the season. To adopt the "Neweyesque" arse in the air aero concept may not work for them because of the way the car was designed and packaged from the outset. Personally I think we'll see something between the two extremes on the Merc this year. Regardless, it will still be fast and competitive I reckon.

[Monster Hesh]

Expecting the Merc to look very similar.

I'm not sure I completely agree with you on this one Jody. Merc took their own path last year, ran a flatter car because it worked for them at more tracks than not over the whole season. Granted, they had to "suck it up" at a couple of the slower twisty tracks like Monaco, Hungaroring, Singapore, but overall they had the performance edge over the season. To adopt the "Neweyesque" arse in the air aero concept may not work for them because of the way the car was designed and packaged from the outset. Personally I think we'll see something between the two extremes on the Merc this year. Regardless, it will still be fast and competitive I reckon.

That how I viewed it, in that interview with Paddy where he stated they design the car fr 80% of the calendar. Plus their power unit is there to get them poles, and cause unpassable turbulence. But maybe they learnt that their philosophy doesn't cut it with these new aero regs, so the stubby rake is required. It would of cost them a fortune due to the amount of re-calibration they will of had to do in every department so they can pursue the new concept, luckily its Mercedes. They want to dominate, so this new route could gift them fastest car at every track. Unless being a year behind takes its toll and not enough lessons were learnt last year.

[Jody Barton]

The issue is that the philosophy Mercedes went with, which served them so well in the previous era, does not really work with the wider cars. Allison said so, and Toto has said so. Plus in outright race pace Mercedes were only clearly fastest at 3 tracks last year... and one of those races they didn't win. I am expecting about 7 to 10cm off of the length of the car, and rake. People forget it was Allison's cars for Enstone that first did the rake thing, and the 2017 Ferrari, was his DNA, he was tasked with getting the car right before he left, and they didn't really let him faff around with the design philosophy in the previous era as that was already set. Given how 'peaky' the W08 was they will not go with the same philosophy this season, just can't see it.

[morini]

Very keen to find out myself Jody. Allison is bound to take the car in that kind of direction, I'm just not convinced Mercedes will be able to do a complete about turn.

[Jody Barton]

I think if any team can do an about turn it's Mercedes, they have the staff to do it if anyone can. I also don't think they can't go down this road. Why? Because despite winning the WCC and WDC last year they clearly didn't have the best overall concept, so continuing down a cul de sac isn't an option for them, because eventually they'll be caught and then left behind. Plus I'm not sure there's much about their car that can't be adapted. They have rumours to believed the smallest engine package on the grid, and there nose / front wing is where everyone who runs rake would like it to be on their car, wider sidepods would also help with cooling. Just don't think they can continue as they are. If RBR can literally rebuild their car mid-season and then win races on merit, then Merc can certainly do it over winter, and given they've been working on the car since the summer break then they have the time, resources and certainly the personnel.

[Monster Hesh]

In the flesh, or carbon fiber and shtuff. Low rake level? reflective floor maybe distort the view.