14-11-2017, 08:55 AM
Ever since 2009 when Newey and Allison started playing with more extreme rakes on cars it’s been a big debate about why teams do it, which I might cover if I’m asked too, but I figured by now most people know why, and every winter tech nerds like me try working out the rake of the cars. I get my figures by using Photoshop and putting a poly mask over it from Illustrator. If you know the size of the wheels (which we do) then you can easily work the rest out of the details, although you obviously need good pics of the cars both side on and front on to get close to accurate measurements, I’m pretty sure my figures aren’t as good as the teams themselves, BUT, it’s all I have.
HaF = Height at Front of car
HaR = Height at Rear of car
Mercedes
Wheelbase = 3738mm
Rake = 0.95
HaF = 29mm
HaR = 88mm
Ferrari
Wheelbase = 3595mm
Rake = 1.55
HaF = 17mm
HaR = 120mm
Red Bull
Wheelbase = 3539mm (was 3689mm)
Rake = 1.58 (at the beginning of the season they were running closer to 1.05)
HaF = 20mm
HaR = 123mm
McLaren
Wheelbase = 3556mm
Rake = 2.08
HaF = 14mm
HaR = 139mm
Above are the averages of rake on the cars so far this season. The teams haven’t really changed much from winter testing (RBR aside but I’ll come to that). Ferrari ran either a 1.50 degree rake or 1.58 degree rake, at most tracks that’s equated to 1.55 degrees of rake, they seem to keep that pretty consistent, even running with it at tracks like Spa and Monza, where others took rake out of the car, Ferrari played way more with front and rear wing angles.
Next up Merc, and the first of the big FRIC / Trick Suspension losers. In the previous regulations Merc ran cars that on straights ran about 1 degree of rake (fairly standard for a few decades) but under braking moved to as much as 2 degrees. So I think losing FRIC hurt Mercedes more than they let on. In winter testing their rake was 0.9 degrees, the least rake of any car on the grid. Like Ferrari they’ve tended to stick with that, except in Singapore, Hungary and Mexico where they ran a little more. I think their whole aero philosophy was buggered by the FRIC ruling.
That brings us neatly onto RBR, who essentially developed a MK.II car mid way through the season because of the loss of FRIC. Their car was essentially 150mm shorter by Belgium, but they had shaved some of that out of the car by as early as Monaco, and took a bit more in Austria. As the car got shorter their rake got higher. Although I think they’re also now running variable ride height suspension system where essentially there is no front to rear connect, the FIA directive before Brazil seems to confirm this. Either way, RBR have had to change the most.
McLaren were also hit by the loss of FRIC, but their system never seemed to lead as extreme changes in rake that either Mercedes or RBR were able to achieve. Nevertheless they always ran less rake in the straights and more in the corners. McLaren run the most extreme rake on the grid, by some margin. Winter testing they started with 1.85 degrees, or thereabouts, and that has only been cranked up. For much of the season it hovered around 2.05, but from Singapore on it’s seemed to be around 2.10. So their straight line speed deficit is NOT all Honda.
Other teams hit by the loss of FRIC were clearly Williams (who had developed a workable system) and Renault who appeared to copy Mercs system. So the big winners out of it appear to be Force India and Ferrari. Although next year I think all teams will gravitate more towards 1.5 degree of rake, it’ll be interesting to see the Mercedes and McLaren designs, I personally think the former will crank on the rake, while the later will dial it out.
HaF = Height at Front of car
HaR = Height at Rear of car
Mercedes
Wheelbase = 3738mm
Rake = 0.95
HaF = 29mm
HaR = 88mm
Ferrari
Wheelbase = 3595mm
Rake = 1.55
HaF = 17mm
HaR = 120mm
Red Bull
Wheelbase = 3539mm (was 3689mm)
Rake = 1.58 (at the beginning of the season they were running closer to 1.05)
HaF = 20mm
HaR = 123mm
McLaren
Wheelbase = 3556mm
Rake = 2.08
HaF = 14mm
HaR = 139mm
Above are the averages of rake on the cars so far this season. The teams haven’t really changed much from winter testing (RBR aside but I’ll come to that). Ferrari ran either a 1.50 degree rake or 1.58 degree rake, at most tracks that’s equated to 1.55 degrees of rake, they seem to keep that pretty consistent, even running with it at tracks like Spa and Monza, where others took rake out of the car, Ferrari played way more with front and rear wing angles.
Next up Merc, and the first of the big FRIC / Trick Suspension losers. In the previous regulations Merc ran cars that on straights ran about 1 degree of rake (fairly standard for a few decades) but under braking moved to as much as 2 degrees. So I think losing FRIC hurt Mercedes more than they let on. In winter testing their rake was 0.9 degrees, the least rake of any car on the grid. Like Ferrari they’ve tended to stick with that, except in Singapore, Hungary and Mexico where they ran a little more. I think their whole aero philosophy was buggered by the FRIC ruling.
That brings us neatly onto RBR, who essentially developed a MK.II car mid way through the season because of the loss of FRIC. Their car was essentially 150mm shorter by Belgium, but they had shaved some of that out of the car by as early as Monaco, and took a bit more in Austria. As the car got shorter their rake got higher. Although I think they’re also now running variable ride height suspension system where essentially there is no front to rear connect, the FIA directive before Brazil seems to confirm this. Either way, RBR have had to change the most.
McLaren were also hit by the loss of FRIC, but their system never seemed to lead as extreme changes in rake that either Mercedes or RBR were able to achieve. Nevertheless they always ran less rake in the straights and more in the corners. McLaren run the most extreme rake on the grid, by some margin. Winter testing they started with 1.85 degrees, or thereabouts, and that has only been cranked up. For much of the season it hovered around 2.05, but from Singapore on it’s seemed to be around 2.10. So their straight line speed deficit is NOT all Honda.
Other teams hit by the loss of FRIC were clearly Williams (who had developed a workable system) and Renault who appeared to copy Mercs system. So the big winners out of it appear to be Force India and Ferrari. Although next year I think all teams will gravitate more towards 1.5 degree of rake, it’ll be interesting to see the Mercedes and McLaren designs, I personally think the former will crank on the rake, while the later will dial it out.