Any theories on the strange McLaren-Mercedes exhaust note?
 

Something related to the blown diffuser probably... but what could it be?

Im thinking something along the lines of an ALS type of throttling while off the throttle to reduce the on-off effect on the blown diffuser to reduce twitchyness at the expense of increased rear brake bias for compensation?

I am not clever enough to add anything to this discussion. http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...lies/dozey.gif

So I really shouldn't have posted here.... Sorry. http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/smokin.gif

Doubt it though I could be wrong. McLaren has the contemporary design. Another team has there's directed more at the floor rather than into the diffuser.

I think it was Martin Brundle iirc who comented on the strange exhaust being something to do with the blown diffuser, had me wondering how it might work also.

Exhaust note? They must be cheating!

Beat me to it! http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/tongue.gif

It is entirely possible it is one or both of the following;

Ignition timing on the overrun changed to create more airflow while throttle not 'on load',

or,

Position/outlet aspect/shape of exhausts is causing such strange acoustics.

I think they may still have asymmetric exhaust outlets. They definitely had it before the blown diffuser modification.

Not quite. The exhaust pipes are same diameter and profile for both banks of the engine, but the cooling outlets in the bodywork from into which the exhausts would exit, where asymetrical, due to differing cooling requirements of water and oil radiators, which reside on opposite sides of the car.

Yes, it was the note on the overrun that it sounded the most noticable difference

I found this technical PDF that looks at all the F1 Season 2010 - Aerodynamic & Mechanical Updates - Version 3
Updated 7th June 2010 includes blown diffusers, very informative and interesting.

http://www.f1-forecast.com/index.php...id=161&lang=en

..though I think we wil have to wait for version 4 to see details of the latest McLaren updates.

This is something that Pat Symonds wrote about in F1 Racing over a month ago. While he was at Renault they worked on it but could not get it to work reliably.

He reckons that Red Bull already have some such system on the RB6 only the engine not change is not as pronounced as on the RB6. There were quite a few in pitlane that noticed the RBR possibility quite a few months ago - hence this is Mclaren following the RBR lead.

I reckon it is a form of traction control but there is a loophole because TC is banned as a controlling of the rear wheels directly - not throttle-ignition.

they were sucking water off the track and funneling it through the exhaust

Possibly a resonance inducer for the diffuser.

We may be at cross purposes here, but I read somewhere - of course, now I want to find it, do you think I can??? - that RBR are using the overrun ignition in qually, but for reliability, as their solution has an impact on engine life, it is not used in the races.

Bit like a flux capacitor? http://www.motorsportforums.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

It´s obviously traction control who is forbidded. Cheaters.

Time for Horner to act!

But ofcourse, the ECU is made by MacLaren for all teams.

Clever.

For sure lol. http://www.motorsportforums.com/imag...ies/tongue.gif

Ignition retardation? That would melt the exhausts unless McLaren found something with the ECU?

http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/2010/0...teams-q3-pace/

Of course this gain doesn’t come for free, the heat of combustion now takes place in the exhaust port, so that the exhaust valve, cylinder head and exhaust pipe all suffer excessive heat. This will affect them, as they cannot withstand this sort of thermal load for long periods. Equally the process burns additional fuel, in the race this is a negative thing as fuel is limited and no refuelling is allowed.

That would explain their qualifying pace then! And how they can't manage to put it together in the races.