Mercedes had the luxury of bringing
aerodynamic refining parts to the last test with the team having
covered significant ground in the previous two tests.
As part of these refinements we find a
new set of Airflow Conditioners alongside the Sidepods of the W05
(old version in top left inset). These more complex conditioners are
split into two with the forward element retaining it's vertical
stance whilst the rearward section arc's over to reach the Sidepod's
shoulder / outbound vertical vortex generator. The creation of a two
part element has already been done by several of the teams rivals and
so it's no surprise that the team has at least evaluated the part for
their own challenger.
That area of the car is quite sensitive
especially in yaw, with tyre wake impacting the flow both over and
around the Sidepod. Furthermore as the teams try to use the
Sidepod's large aerodynamic surface to affect the performance of the
car it's crucial to keep it operating in as wide a performance window
as possible (over a wide speed threshold). The splitting of the
conditioner into two elements will help to both control the front
tyre wake and it's impact on the airflow around the Sidepod and
create vortices that will both manage the impingement of airflow
further downstream and increase the efficiency of the airflow
structures in that region.
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