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Force India VJM03 – Further modifications on sidepods panels at Turkey
At Turkey the VJM03 had its sidepod panels modified . In details a small extra air-fence ( in black color) was added which hangs by its upper part from the horizontal panel’s extension so as to improve airflow management close to the sidepod bottoms and towards the rear .
At Valencia this extra element was painted from black to orange
VJM03 , rear wing – small change for China
VJM03 – Bahraini rear wing spec details
- The three horizontal slits at the upper part of the endplates , help to reduce the turbulence and drag generated by the impact of the airflow towards the main profile close to endplates
- The curved front-lower edge offers a cleaner airflow passing close to the rear suspension’s upper wishbones . Again turbulence and drag in this area is reduced . As side effect the airflow towards the low placed beam wing might be disrupted by air vortexes created by the rear wheel’s rotation , especially when the car turns .
- The black colored tab along the wing extremities boosts downforce production with small drag penalty .
- Finally there is a single wing pillar to increase stiffness
VJM03 – Sidepod panels revision at Bahrain and bargeboard details
During winter testing at Barcelona many teams presented major or lesser significance modifications to their cars . Force India VJM03 had its sidepod panels revised . The revised panels had a larger cut on their top rear end to let more air bleed between the panel and sidepod , aiming mainly to drag reduction and a new connection to the mirrors . Moreover a small winglet was added lower on the panel to improve airflow towards the rear sides of the car . The VJM03 retained the revised panels for Bahrain .
The bargeboards featured by the VJM03 are smaller than other teams use and have a triangular shape with their rear part connecting directly to the turning vanes . Their role is to manage flow of air around the sidepod bottoms and under the car’s floor .
VJM03 – Bahraini front wing spec details
1.The central zone is defined by the rules as it must be 500mm width and must consist of a single element
2.Vertical nose pillars
3.The main profile rises before joining the endplate to increase the quantity of air passing under and close to the endplates .
4.The vertical airflow splitter fence under the main profile diverts airflow outwards .
5. Horizontal extension of the endplates , reduces front wing’s pitch sensitivity
6.Extra double profiled winglet which adds downforce
7.The endplate is consisted by two vertical elements . The two elements create an inner air channel to speed up airflow while the rear one has an outward curve to direct air around the front wheels
8.There is a small cut deep at the outer second plane extremities to reduce drag on long straights .
VJM03 inboard mirrors at China
One race before the official ban of the outboard mirrors , Force India repositioned the car mirrors inboards having them now mounted on the tooth edged cockpit fins .The outboard mirrors , a novelty first introduced in 2006 by Ferrari ( 248 F1) , are banned from FIA because they offer poor rear visibility .
VJM03 nose pillars and nose cone updates at Melbourne and Bahrain respectively
The team during Winter testing modified significantly the nose cone shape . The new nose cone has a more roundy and lifted up tip so as to let more air pass under the car .
Moreover the VJM03 introduced new wider nose pillars at Melbourne to guide better the airflow entering under the nose . A similar pillar design was also adopted by Mercedes GP at Spanish race .
VJM03 Technical Specification
Chassis | Carbon fibre composite monocoque with Zylon legality side anti-intrusion panels. |
Front suspension | Aluminium uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard chassis mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly. |
Rear suspension | Aluminium uprights with carbon fibre composite wishbones, trackrod and pushrod. Inboard gearbox mounted torsion springs, dampers and anti-roll bar assembly. |
Wheel base | 3500mm |
Front track | 1480mm |
Rear track | 1420mm |
Overall height | 950mm |
Overall length | 4900mm |
Overall weight | 620kg (with driver, by regulations) |
Wheels | BBS forged wheels to Force India specification |
Engine supplier | Mercedes Benz High Performance Engines V8 2.4-litre |
Transmission | McLaren Racing 7-speed, semi-automatic, ‘e-shift’ |
Lubricants | Mobil 1 products |
Spark plugs | NGK |
Clutch | AP Racing carbon clutch |
Tyres | Bridegestone Potenza |
Brake system | AP Racing |
Brake material | Carbone Industrie |
Dampers | Penske |
source : http://www.forceindiaf1.com/