2022 Car Launches and Pre-season Testing (March 10-12, Bahrain)

After three days, here’s how I’d lay it out:
1. Red Bull
2. Mercedes
3. McLaren
4. Alpine
5. Ferrari
6. AlphaTauri
7. Williams
8. Haas
9. Aston Martin
10. Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo is just such a massive disappointment... honestly, the whole team is struggling with those engines...

ruggedhawk20 said:Gregory Brown94, what on earth is that tiny little vent inside the Red Bull sidepod? What is its actual purpose? Please, do be a dear and explain it to us, as you are truly the only one here who seems to grasp these technical nuances. Even though you never bother reading the official technical regulations—simply because you possess such a natural, innate talent for it—we implore you to shed some light on this for us. Thank you.

That small vent was actually just a housing for a camera, which they used to film the rear section of the car to observe exactly how much everything flexes and shifts around back there.

Wait, what’s going on with that exhaust setup on the Ferrari? Is that some kind of double exhaust system?

Tyler Bennett5 said:What's up with that exhaust setup on the Ferrari? Is that some kind of double exhaust thing?

That’s just the wastegate pipe. It runs from the turbocharger valve and its whole job is to bleed off excess pressure within the compressor itself. Up until recently, teams were running two separate pipes, but then the FIA stepped in with a rule saying you can only have one, and it has to be tucked away inside the exhaust.

All the cars:


In the opening post of this thread, you will find all the results from the testing sessions.

stormybadger8 said:https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...esting-day-two
Ted broke down how Ferrari operates 😁

Are you even checking your DMs?
Either you aren't seeing them—which is pretty embarrassing, honestly—or you're just ignoring me...

Here’s the first look at the 2022 floor, specifically from Gasly's AlphaTauri after the crane picked up the car following the crash.



You can clearly see how the deflectors are positioned under the floor now, but regardless, they function just like the lane deflectors—moving air to create the turbulence needed to glue the car to the track.

shadowstag10 said:Purpoise

Who’s going to settle this first? Winner takes all.

Binotto claims they understand exactly why this is happening. And more importantly? They know how to fix it.

Porpoising kicks in the moment you lower the ride height. Increase that gap from the ground, and the bouncing disappears. But there's a catch, isn't there? Raising the car kills your total downforce. You end up losing lap time because the car just isn't planted. It all comes down to finding that perfect balance.

Since Newey basically said the same thing yesterday regarding Red Bull, I’d say Binotto is telling the truth.

What’s the current word on the diffusers, fluid flow, and how much grip these cars actually have on the track?
Any updates yet?
Asking for a friend who's currently grounded—basically on mandatory leave...

Well, I decided to take a look, and it appears that Alfa Romeo has unveiled its new livery:



It certainly possesses a certain aesthetic appeal, does it not?

swiftmaker12 said:What’s the current situation with diffusers, airflow, and how much downforce these cars actually have?
is there any word on this
asking for a friend who is currently being forced to take a mandatory break...

Basically, the issue is that modern cars are dealing with high-pressure airflow both above and below the chassis. That famous porpoising effect happens when the top side pushes the rear end so hard toward the ground that it creates a sort of vacuum under the car at the diffuser level. But since the floor edges aren't perfectly sealed against the track, the air starts leaking in through the diffuser. This essentially cancels out all that downward pressure from the top, causing the car to lift up. Then, once it lifts, the top side slams it back down again...

According to McLaren, they aren't entirely sure why their car isn't experiencing that specific porpoising sensation. Just my own guess, though—maybe the deflectors are grabbing too much air, which prevents the Venturi tunnels from working quite like they're supposed to. Still, even a weakened diffuser seems more than enough given how these current cars are built.

Gregory Brown94 said:And who exactly am I supposed to be asking—those people claiming an Alpine could show up without sidepods? Only someone who started following F1 yesterday would think that. Seriously, if you're as smart as you claim to be, why don't you try making a technical drawing or even just a quick sketch to explain how a car without sidepods would actually work?

Just stop embarrassing yourself.
All this nonsense of yours really kicked off right after Scarbs' sketch, the one you insisted was "impossible under the regulations."
When I asked you directly which specific rule forbids it, you just started rambling and acting like a know-it-all about everything under the sun.

Looking at this latest comment, it’s pretty obvious what kind of "expert" we're dealing with here:

Gregory Brown94 said:You can clearly see how the deflectors are positioned under the floor now, but regardless, they function just like any other vane to deflect airflow and create the turbulence needed to glue the car to the track.

Gregory Brown94 said:If you guys keep messing with me, I'll just go into self-isolation like Hamilton did. Maybe find some people who actually want to discuss Grand Prix topics and such...

LOL

A few more things to chew on before we hit testing in Bahrain in about ten days...


Most of them look pretty much the same, though Red Bull seems to be in a league of their own.




There's a massive gap in design philosophy here, specifically with Mercedes standing out from the pack.

I wonder which will be more shocking? If someone manages to find a full second over the rest in Bahrain Q3, or if the entire field ends up separated by just ten thousandths of a second.

Gregory Brown94 said:If I feel like I'm still being messed with, I might just take a page out of Hamilton's book and go into total self-isolation, honestly. Maybe you guys should try finding some people who actually want to kick off Grand Prix discussions and all that...

Honestly, maybe that’s for the best. You've pretty much flooded the thread about car reveals and testing sessions with a mountain of nonsense, vague theories, and those massive, oversized images of things that nobody really cares about. Then, when someone asks you an actual, concrete question, you suddenly act like you have no clue. I guess you could probably use a little break; it might do you some good.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:It’s about time. You’ve just cluttered up this whole thread about car reveals and testing with a mountain of nonsense—just vague ideas and massive images showcasing things nobody actually cares about. And then, when someone asks you a real question, you play dumb. Maybe take a break. It might do you some good.

Thanks.

But honestly, the questions I'm getting are on the level of "why is the Earth round."

Basically—it looks like the rest of you have finally mastered the art of analysis. You basically just stare at pictures and call it a day, yet you act like seeing a "possible wingless Alpine concept" is like witnessing a miracle from above. 🤦

Goodbye!

If you find yourself at odds with someone else, perhaps you might consider explaining the reasoning behind your disagreement in a structured manner? If, however, you simply find that you have no interest in what a particular forum member has to say regarding a subject, you always have the option to ignore them.
Gregory Brown94 is a true enthusiast who possesses absolutely no ill intent in his contributions. And if anyone happens to believe he has made an error in his reasoning, please feel free to point it out to him. Let us remain polite.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:You’ve completely buried the actual discussion on car reveals and testing under a mountain of nonsense. Just endless fluff and oversized images of things nobody actually cares about. Why bother?

I’ve been following the technical side of Formula 1 for about twenty years now. I’d go so far as to say I actually know my stuff. I'm looking for deep, serious analysis.

But then again, when someone kicks off their "deep dive" analysis with...

Gregory Brown94 said:First and foremost, we need to look at the front wing. Starting this year, they’ve ditched those specific endplate elements. You know, the ones designed to trigger that Y250 vortex? That turbulence is what actually glues the car to the track. Without it, everything changes.

It’s obvious from the jump. This isn't some deep, serious analysis. It’s not even close. We aren't dealing with an expert here—just another amateur playing pretend.

To top it all off, the person behind those childish scribbles is an arrogant jerk who actually thinks he’s some kind of next big thing in Adriatic New York.

Safe travels, neighbor. 🙂

I haven't been keeping up with these F2 technical deep dives, so I might have missed something.

On the Alfa, those sidepods aren't just extra cooling vents; they're actually the primary—and only—cooling inlets.







Either they’re incredibly confident in this design, or they have absolutely no idea how badly they've fucked themselves. 😁

I haven't quite figured out the exact radiator layout on the Aston Martin yet, but from what I can see, it looks identical to the setup on the Alfa.



When is Bahrain finally getting here? 😁

As one might have reasonably anticipated, Has anyone else been following the recent news regarding Max, specifically his announcement concerning Red Bull Racing? It makes one wonder, doesn't it, where the trajectory of the team is headed in light of such declarations? Is it not a curious thing to consider how much of an impact arriving at the season opener in Bahrain might have if they show up with a car that looks fundamentally different from what we saw during testing? One has to wonder, doesn't one, whether such a drastic shift in design philosophy might actually yield the results they are so desperately chasing, or if it will simply be another case of chasing shadows?

He also mentioned that during their time in Barcelona, they weren't exactly chasing raw pace; rather, his primary concern was simply executing the predetermined program. Can we really expect anything else? I suspect we won't see them actually playing with the cards they hold regarding true speed until we hit Q3 at the season opener.