Sunday, January 31, 2010

Them Other Fellers

Launch type pictures for some of them other fellers:
  • McLaren MP4-25: holy shark fin, batman! McLaren's ride this year also features sidepods which drop away from the upper lines much more significantly than we've seen before; the visual difference probably accounts for much of the reason why I can't see more bulk. There's also a pronounced barge-boarding in front of the inlets. But all the weird lines aside, you know that since it is a McLaren, it will either be quick, or they'll make it quick. F1.Fanatic's side-by-side photos show that this car is longer than last year's.
  • Renault R30: What's with the black on black colour scheme? The entire rear of the car is practically invisible as the detail just gets washed away. The car does have strong resemblances to last year's (see F1.Fanatic for the usual side-by-side pictures). Thank whomever that the nose is much less ugly this year. There is more bulk in the sidepods, and like the Ferrari the bodywork seems pulled in tighter towards the rear. There are also the predictable not-turning-vane turning-vanes just outboard of the sidepod inlets, although they are more discreet than other teams have been, and there are no barge-boards.
  • BMW-Sauber C29: This car is the first car that I can see some of the new bulk in the mid section. The front is "classic" BMW, although the wing/nose arrangement is a little unconventional. Visually the car doesn't have the proportions that we are used to, from the fat front wing through skinny nose through fat mid-section through tiny rear wing. Again, what's with the black colour schemes this year? It sure makes it hard to see what is going on. F1.Fanatic's side-by-side pictures show the extra length in the car.
So far this year shark-fins seem to be a fashion requirement; however recall last year that Toyota launched without one, but the first testing sessions showed that one had been attached. So the lengths and geometries of the fins will likely be variable through the year. The cars are longer, which will probably make them more stable but correspondingly less nimble, which may be why the fins are being played with.

Testing at Valencia starts tomorrow, and there will be more teams (Williams, Mercedes, and Toro Rosso who are somehow launching ahead of their Red Bull parent team) revealed then.

Perhaps also of note: Virgin claims to have fired up their first Cosworth engine, although the car itself is not due to be launched until later this week.