Sauber C32 – E spec rear wing

E spec

   The D spec rear wing was also tested without the DRD, accompanied with minor modifications on the DRS ( Drag Reduction System) activator ( changes in yellow), suggesting possible further internal revisions of the mechanism .

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Sauber C32 – D spec rear wing and DRD debut

                            D spec – debut of drag reduction system                   at Barcelona test on February

        Sauber brought another new rear wing at Barcelona test on February, The revised wing had less gills on the endplates ( three instead of four), a distinctive downwards bending main flap and finally the second flap regained the gurney tab but lost at the same time the V cut in the middle . Modifications also took  place on DRS activator.

       The team accompanied the new wing with a DRD ( Drag Reduction Devise ). Such a device was also tested last season on C31 but was first invented by Lotus last season and later also seen on Mercedes. It is passive, activated only by a fluid dynamic switch and involves additional twin inlets on both airbox sides, possibly the main airbox inlet, a sytem of channels housed inside the engine cover and a terminal L shaped flow air effusion. The twin inlets feed the system with air, which in low and average speeds exits normally through the large oval hot air outlet in front of the beam winglet . On the contrary at high speeds the flow switch forces air to exit through the effusion terminal just below the undersurface of the rear wing;s main flap, causing it to stall, hence reducing drag.

     Mc Laren’s innovative F duct device a few years ago, probably carved the path to all recent drag reduction devices, including the Mercedes and Red Bull double DRS ( DDRS) and Lotus DRD .

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Sauber C32 – C spec rear wing at 1st Barcelona test

first Barcelona test , C spec

       A C spec rear wing was tested on Sauber C32 at Barcelona test on February . The new one had a gurney tab-less second flap bearing a distinctive V shaped cut in the middle zone of its trailing edge, three flap fasteners instead of two and a revised DRS activator. Finally a minor and hard to notice change is the slightly extension downwards of the middle section of the second airfoil profile. Sauber with the new spec targeted to a wing offering similar amounts of downforce with a reduced drag level .

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Sauber C32 – B spec rear wing at Jerez test

Jerez test on February , B spec

     It is very usual for F1 teams to immediately launch new wings right on the first pre season test after the launch of new car. Sauber honored partially this trend, because the rear wing tested at Jerez on February was actually the A spec with an additional black colored gurney tab across the trailing edge of the second flap to increase the grip of the rear end . Furthermore a color difference, from white to black, occurred on the centre zone of the main flap. To be more accurate the white color is now absent, thus the black carbon fibres beneath the paint layer are revealed .

Sauber C32 Rear wing – launch spec details

Launch (A) spec

  Sauber’s rear wing consists of two upper flaps and one lower, often called beam wing, which supports the whole wing on the car’s rear crash structure . Parallel endplates enclose all flaps to enhance downforce production . Many others characteristics, listed below, aid to make a design successful or not .

1.single profiled extra winglet on the beam wing , helps to raise downforce

2. a series of four gills on the endplate surface to bleed air to the outside , hence reduce drag

3. main flap with slightly raised upwards central zone

4. second flap with a smaller chord, this is the movable flap when DRS (Drag reduction System)  is activated

5. two flap fasteners to secure inflexibility of flaps

6. the L shaped husk encapsulates the DRS activator mechanism

7. endplate’s upper sector features a deep cut, again to reduce drag

Sauber C32 – winter testing (pre season) tech summary

Chassis :  C32

Engine : Ferrari typo 056

 

 

     The C32 is a refined version of the 2012- C31 with the most obvious changes to be spotted on the extra slim and innovative sidepods , lower nose height and the clever interpretation of the modesty panel, which in Sauber case has an interesting “Π” shape. The nose S-duct also remains on the new car . Ferrari continues to supply the team with the engine , KERS and gearbox .

Winter testing updates :

   Two new rear wings came up at first Barcelona test, one with flat planes and another with spoon curved . Finally a modified diffuser was tested at second Barcelona test . It seems however that the innovative slim sidepods cause the exhaust gases exiting from the Coanda exhauts  to bent inwards more than it is needed , ruining somehow the optimum efficiency of the Coanda exhausts that the designers aimed to .

 

 

EVALUATION :

Aerodynamic performance :  above average

Speed :.  Promising but seems to be insufficient to challenge the top teams

Tyres management  :   well , even better at short runs

Reliability  :  technical issues occurred , the team believes they will be wiped out till Melbourne

 

 

 innovative slim sidepods

 

 

 

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2013 F1 cars – Nose Fairing patterns

 

        Despite the fact that FIA attempted to discourage teams from exploiting the nose fairing and gaining aero advantage over it, many teams bypassed the regulations spirit and developed elegant structures both to gain  improved airflow over the nose and keep the weight penalty due to the added fairing as low as possible . To be honest this was something more than expected as many changes caused the opposite effect than the wanted    one, with the recent ban of the blown diffuser to be the best example. The only team which does not need a fairing is Marussia because of its low chassis .

       Ferrari, Mc Laren, Force India, Williams and Toro Rosso followed a conservative pattern as shown in the illustration below

Ferrari , Mc Laren , Force India, Williams , Toro Rosso
A full cover from stepped point to the nose tip , highlighted in orange color .

 

         Sauber developed a unique “ Π ” shaped fairing to create a deep channel on top of  the nose, separating the air stream flowing over the nose with the one flowing at sides .

Sauber – Π concept

 

   Red Bull’s dwarf fairing is an outcome of the desire to limit the fairing dimensions to the minimum required for opted aero efficiency so as to keep the extra weight as low as possible .

Red Bull – dwarf fairing

 

    Mercedes evolved further last season arched nose . Instead of being flat at the top it has an intense arched shape and a more smooth  bulkhead height  transition . This is to reduce drag by diverting the air flowing above the nose tip towards the  nose sides while the main flow is channeled smoothly over the bulkhead  , all aiming lower drag production . The optical result of this pattern resembles to a duck nose .

Mercedes – duck fairing

 

 

       Finally Caterham and  Lotus  rejected the possibility of fixing a weight costly fairing and instead developed a sculpted chassis on top, thus forming a smoother airpath for drag cut . However Caterham features a deeper and a more obvious sculpted area than Lotus does .

Caterham and Lotus – sculpted chassis

 

 

        It is of high possibility to see teams developing further their initial idea or even coping rivals patterns . It is good to remember that the nose fairing,  as all new designs, needs to be examined and studied further , unless FIA decides to make regulations even stricter .

 

 

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Sauber C32 – Technical details

Technical details

(source Sauber F1 Team)

Chassis	carbon-fibre monocoque
Front suspension	upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs and dampers activated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering and Penske)
Rear suspension	upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs and dampers actuated by pullrods (Sachs Race Engineering and Penske)
Brakes	six-piston brake callipers (Brembo), carbon-fibre pads and discs (Brembo)
Transmission	Ferrari 7-speed quick-shift carbon gearbox, longitudinally mounted, carbon-fibre clutch
Chassis electronics	MES
KERS	Ferrari
Steering wheel	Sauber F1 Team
Tyres	Pirelli
Wheels	OZ
Dimensions
length	5.240 mm
width	1.800 mm
height	1.000 mm
track width, front	1.495 mm
track width, rear	1.410 mm
Weight	642 kg (incl. driver, tank empty)

Ferrari 056 engine

Type	naturally aspirated 8-cylinder, 90° cylinder angleel 90 Grad
Engine block	sand-cast aluminium
Valves / valve train	32 / pneumatic
Displacement	2.398 ccm
Bore	98 mm
Weight	> 95 kg
Electronic injection and ignition