The 2010 F1 Car Launch Thread

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Belatti

In that pic it also looks like Ferrari are carrying most of the additional fuel in their sidepods.

[strider]

Originally Posted by F.O.F.

Ah, I didn't think the change had been that small! well, at least they're slicks!

It's just the contact patch. From the head-on shot they're using the same front wheels, so that makes them look the same initially.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Thinking back to 2003, it wasn't apparent then that Michelins front tyre was wider than it should have been.

That's probably because they weren't.

It's OK looking this Ferrari. Let's hope it is as successful as last years model.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by strider

It's just the contact patch. From the head-on shot they're using the same front wheels, so that makes them look the same initially.

Agreed. It's a similar sort of thing to the Michelin vs Bridgestone debacle back in 03.

[jab]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Yes, there could be one or two RedBull 'clones' this season.

I should think most of them will be. I expect McLaren and Mercedes will continue down the same route they were going down last year with a lower front end, but most of the rest will be RB5-esque (I know the VR-01 is, for a start). It's common sense to go down that route - it was fundamentally the best car

This is why RBR may struggle this year. With all the other teams copying their designs, they'll be swallowed up unless they make another big leap

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by strider

It's just the contact patch. From the head-on shot they're using the same front wheels, so that makes them look the same initially.

obviously the cars are not to the same scale in the photos because if you measure the tread width the new cars is wider!

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

It's OK looking this Ferrari. Let's hope it is as successful as last years model.

Yes, they've made it longer and fatter, which as we all know, means it will be much faster.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by sizzle

obviously the cars are not to the same scale in the photos because if you measure the tread width the new cars is wider!

Yes, I noticed that too.

In the picture the new cars front wing is 16 cms long from nose to outer edge, whereas the old cars is only 14.3 cms long. So deffo not to scale.

[neilap]

Yawn... uh hum... hey!! Whats this?!! F1 is back, my hibernation is over

The wheelbase is obviously longer, I did not think I would be able to notice it that much right off. As many have said already this year should be killer. I hope there are many cars fighting for the front row even more than the end of last year.
Alonso and Massa should be a good combination we will see what Massa is really worth now 'cause with Kimi we just did not have a steady measure.

[WapFlap]

Autosport shows a spyshot from the new Williams, which also looks quite like a Red Bull car.



full article here: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81104

[Chiefy]

I like the look of the Ferrari. If all of the teams - or a lot of them - copy Red Bull I still think Red Bull, as long as its changes are for the better, should be able to keep an element of advantage. They did it first!

The Williams looks nice. As ever with this team I just hope it is competitive. :-)

[Marbot]

It's hard to judge from that photograph, but it does look more in proportion than the Ferrari. There is a rumour going around that one car in particular has barely increased its wheelbase at all!

[F.O.F.]

Oooh! The teams seem to be getting even better at optimising designs for particular rule sets, thus making everything on the grid look the bloody same! About the only interesting thing I notice is the Brawn-ish complicated front wing endplate. Hopefully it will be a good challenger anyway.

[Marbot]

When teams start letting computers optimize everything, then it should be no surprise that they turn out to be similar.

[jab]

The Williams looks aggressive. Brawn-esque sidepods on there - severly undercut

I hope it's a winner. Williams haven't won for 5 years, and they've got a great, likeable line-up this year

[Marbot]

Barrichello says of testing:

"This year it will be even harder to judge over the winter due to the bigger fuel tanks throwing in another variable - we will have people running with very different levels of fuel during testing."

So the times will be even more all over the place than usual. Remember that there will probably be around 5-6 seconds difference in lap times from full tank to near empty tank. Something to bear in mind once testing gets underway.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Chiefy

I like the look of the Ferrari. If all of the teams - or a lot of them - copy Red Bull I still think Red Bull, as long as its changes are for the better, should be able to keep an element of advantage. They did it first!

I think so, too. That's why Adrian Newey is hanging back until the last minute.

Originally Posted by Chiefy

The Williams looks nice. As ever with this team I just hope it is competitive. :-)

I reckon they'll be in the top ten, which isn't bad when you think there are eight cars that you would expect to be at the sharp end right from the word go.

[DanShenise]

My guess is McLaren if there is team out there with a car that didn't have to radically increase the wheelbase. They like agressively taking on new challenges.

One thing that I noticed is the rear wing end plates. My assumption was that the Red Bull was so good at the beginning of last year because the end plates extended to the reference plane. Only when the switched to the double deck diffuser, did they shorten them up. At the beginning of last season it was Brawn miles ahead of the field, but only a bit ahead of the Red Bulls who were also substantially quicker than the field. I'll be interested to see if this years Red Bull shows up with end plates that extend to the reference plane (acting as de facto part of the diffuser). Unless of course that is one of those little rules that get changed and aren't terribly well publicised.

[Marbot]

Just a thought, but looking at the wheelbase on that Ferrari makes me wonder just how effective the cars will be at getting around Loews hairpin!

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by strider

I think so, too. That's why Adrian Newey is hanging back until the last minute. .

The thing about Adrian is that you tend to think the only car that doesn't look like last years Red Bull will be this years Red Bull

[92scotland]

Sorry if this has already been said but by the looks of things the McLaren will also look like the RedBull.Here is a pic of the tub:twitpic.com/zolnu/full

[ECW Dan Selby]

Ahhh it's a shame all the cars look like their going to be clones this year lol

Selby

[Fox89]

Originally Posted by 92scotland

Sorry if this has already been said but by the looks of things the McLaren will also look like the RedBull.Here is a pic of the tub:twitpic.com/zolnu/full

Geez McLaren are gonna be red-faced when they get to Valencia and realize why they're so far off the pace. They forgot to put wheels on it!

[jab]

Apparently it's only the front end the teams will be copying, with the V nose. The rest of the car, the intricate details of it, will be more Brawn-esque as the RB5's rear was actually quite aerodynamically inefficient

[ECW Dan Selby]

http://carlaunch.mclaren.com/

Launch link for McLaren - will be unveiled at 11am GMT

Selby