McLarens pre season has been thwarted by unreliability and apparently aerodynamic problems. The team have run a succession of exhaust designs (at least 4 so far) and time has been spent mapping the cars aerodynamics with sensor arraysflowviz. While the exhaust solution has yet to be finalised (I have a forthcoming post on this), The last days of the Barcelona test allowed the team to introduce some new parts around the back of the car and a new front wing.

Their new rear wing sports vanes along its lower edge. These are legal as they sit in a small 5cm loophole zone in the bodywork regulations. This area has been exploited before by Red Bull on the RB5 and subsequently Toyota and Williams in 2009. Sauber also have much smaller solution on their current car. Having bodywork in this area effectively extends the diffuser sidewalls by some 30cm, which helps maximise the expansion ratio of the diffuser for more downforce. Such is the shape of the flow out of the diffuser, the bodywork needs to be vaned to allow the flow to expand. McLaren have formed four vanes into the allowable area. For the test, the rear-pointing exhausts were lined up with these vanes, thus the exhaust flow (red) will be routed by these vanes, accelerating flow inside the diffuser for even more downforce.

McLarens problems also delayed the testing of their DRS (Drag Reduction System) adjustable rear wing. To feed the hydraulics to the actuator mounted inside the middle of the rear wing, the team have routed a non-structural pylon up from the gearbox to the wing. This houses the hydraulic cables & sensor wiring and does little to support the upper rear wing.

With the weather warming a little during the relatively cold Spanish tests, the team were able to reduce the size of the engine hot air outlet for the last test. In the middle of this outlet is the oval gearbox oil hydraulic cooler outlet. Leaving the rest of the outlet for general sidepod cooling