Brawn plays down performance advantage of Mercedes' DRS-activated F-duct
Ross Brawn has played down the performance advantage of his DRS-activated F-duct, as Michael Schumacher led the way on the opening day of practice for the Australian Grand Prix.
Ross Brawn has played down the performance advantage of his DRS-activated F-duct, as the first pictures of the design in action emerged on Friday.
The photograph published here shows a hole on the inside of the endplate that matches the shape of the activated DRS flap. The hole would be covered when the DRS is not activated, but is then open when the wing lifts.
It has been suggested that when the slot is open, air is fed through the inside of the endplate and into the hollow main plane, before emerging out of the central section of the wing where it helps stall the wing for a straight line speed boost.
However, sources at rival teams say they are keeping a close eye on whether or not the hole is feeding air to other areas of the car - such as the diffuser or even the front wing.
Amid intense focus from the media and rival teams about what exactly Mercedes is up to with its rear wing, Brawn was keen on Friday to suggest that the F-duct concept was not the golden ticket for his team.
"We have an interesting system on the car and it's not complicated at all, so I'm sure other teams are looking at it and they need to decide if it's worthwhile or not," said Brawn, who played down any talk that the it could be as vital as the double diffuser that rival teams protested back in 2009.
"It's not in the same magnitude as the diffuser concept that we had or even the exhaust concepts the cars ran the last few years. It's obviously helpful: that's why we're doing it but it's not a massive performance gain."
Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher finished the afternoon's practice session on top of the times.
Sketch of the Mercedes wing section
There is also interest in the F-duct front wing that the team is using - and where exactly the slots that feed air to stall that are situated.
Brawn defended his team's aggressive design concepts - claiming that technical innovation was the lifeblood of F1.
"I can tell you it's great for F1, because for me the magic of F1 is not just the drivers - it's the technology, the engineering, the innovation, the stories that fill the web pages and the media," he said.
Flying the Flag: the history of French drivers in F1
Formula 1 teams pushing the FIA to police the Resource Restriction Agreement
Daytona 24: Cadillacs lead BMW in fourth practice
In the GTP teams’ penultimate practice ahead of the Daytona 24 Hours, Alexander Sims put Action Express Racing Cadillac on top from Ganassi, while Nick Yelloly lifted his BMW to third.
How women are tackling barriers in motorsport
Women’s participation in motorsport has hugely increased in recent years, with series such as W Series and Extreme E providing invaluable support for female drivers.
Why Vasseur isn't wielding the axe on Ferrari's F1 strategy team
As Ferrari reflected on the lost opportunities of the 2022 Formula 1 season, it did not take a genius to understand that strategy had been one of its core weaknesses.
Winward Mercedes replaces injured Auer with Morad for Daytona 24
Lucas Auer will sit out the Daytona 24 Hours after suffering back injuries in practice and will be replaced by GT4 racer Daniel Morad at Winward Mercedes.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.