[Team] Why do teams launch their cars?

[ECW Dan Selby]

Ok, before I get absolutely slated for this one, hear me out.

I found this image confusing at first for obvious reasons:

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...stopped466.jpg

I could not work out for the life of me what that was at the back of the car, until I read on:

"While waiting for a recovery truck, he positioned his helmet and head protection behind the car so photographers could not take pictures of the car's diffuser, a crucial part of the rear of the car that promotes aerodynamic downforce. "

Which leads me to think, why do they bother launching their cars? I found it kind of funny given the recent discrepancys being used by the teams that they'd release good quality images of umpteen angles of their car.

Why not just wait til the first race?

Are they under obligation from their sponsors/parent company to have to release the design by a certain date, etc?

Selby

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

Why not just wait til the first race?

Well, they need to test don't they? Therefore they may as well launch the car for commerical purposes.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Yeh I appreciate that they obviously need to test, but I mean these launches that come with a load of images of different angles of the car etc, it almost seems needless to give so much away? (from the team's perspective)

Let me just reiterate, i'd really dislike it if they stopped launching them!

I'm just curious to why they give us as much as they do.

Selby

[Kempi]

Sponsoring reasons. All those glossy hi-res pictures also show the sponsor logos in glossy hi-res.

Besides, they rarely have all the detail on the show-car for the launch already. We all know how they say "the car will look completely different till Melbourne."

[Graz]

I always look forward to the new cars coming out but it got really silly in the last 10 or 15 years when the launches went really stupidly over the top. Invite a few journo's around to the fatory and pull a sheet off the new car. Simple and classically understated.

In terms of giving stuff away, all cars are designed by computer and wind tunnel these days so unless the laws of physics change significantly, there's not much to give away.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

Yeh I appreciate that they obviously need to test, but I mean these launches that come with a load of images of different angles of the car etc, it almost seems needless to give so much away? (from the team's perspective)

I'm not sure it makes much difference. During testing, the teams will obtain good close-up photographs of rival cars, don't you worry!

[Sodemo]

The one advantage of testing in the wet (as they are today at Jerez) is that the spray hides the diffuser (at least when at speed).

[tristancliffe]

The Launch cars are usually using a very early iteration of the aero kit, and often have clever bits removed or covered up. The major bits - monocoque shape for instance - would be too difficult to copy so late in the season, so showing them off doesn't matter.

Sure there are lots of photographers working for each team, but covering up the back of the car like this will make getting detailed shots a bit more of a challenge.

[Last2LiftOff]

Because they can.

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Well, they need to test don't they? Therefore they may as well launch the car for commerical purposes.

Are we allowed to discuss the marketplace?

[duke_toaster]

I think this has got silly now with the car covering. Interestingly, here is the section of the rules about car coverings.

During the entire Event, no screen, cover or other obstruction which in any way obscures any part of a car will be allowed at any time in the paddock, garages, pit lane or grid, unless it is clear any such covers are needed solely for mechanical reasons, which could, for example, include protecting against fire.
In addition to the above the following are specifically not permitted :
- engine, gearbox or radiator covers whilst engines are being changed or moved around the garage ;
- covers over spare wings when they are on a stand in the pit lane not being used ;
- parts such as (but not limited to) spare floors, fuel rigs or tool trolleys may not be used as an obstruction.
The following are permitted :
- covers which are placed over damaged cars or components ;
- a transparent tool tray, no more than 50mm deep, placed on top of the rear wing ;
- warming or heat retaining covers for the engine and gearbox on the grid ;
- a rear wing cover designed specifically to protect a mechanic starting the car from fire ;
- tyre heating blankets ;
- covers over the tyre manufacturer’s code numbers (not the FIA bar code numbers) ;
- a cover over the car in the parc fermé overnight ;
- a cover over the car in the pit lane or grid if it is raining.

Surely they need to look at this and beef it up to stop these things? Didn't Brawn use a human shield around their diffuser at one point. Surprised they weren't looked at after that.

[Wims]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

The one advantage of testing in the wet (as they are today at Jerez) is that the spray hides the diffuser (at least when at speed).

Actually I think aerodynamisists can learn alot about the diffuser by looking at the shape of the spray itself.

[tristancliffe]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

I think this has got silly now with the car covering. Interestingly, here is the section of the rules about car coverings.



Surely they need to look at this and beef it up to stop these things? Didn't Brawn use a human shield around their diffuser at one point. Surprised they weren't looked at after that.

An "Event" is a race meeting, not a test or a launch.

[stark]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Didn't Brawn use a human shield around their diffuser at one point.

That was Toyota - Martin Brundle was doing his pitwalk and they kept shuffling along when he was trying to squeeze through! Personally I thought it was quite funny - perhaps the way Martin joked about it made it light hearted.

It raises a bit of mystery and interest - I'm sure we'd all be excited as little kids if RB had launched its car with a few area's 'concealed' ! Perhaps we should let them hide areas at the start of the season - means the other teams have to try and 'guess' at whats being hidden and might result in bigger differences between the cars. Then at the end of the season (if the cars haven't been exposed enough by then) they could be viewed properly so yes, winter past everyone would have jumped on the RB design...but Newey would have had a bigger head start on this year. Not looking for Newey / RB to run away with things, but it might make the other designers take some bigger gambles which may or may not pay off.

Just an idea...

[jab]

For those that are interested, here is the diffuser:



See, that wasn't hard, was it?

[Marbot]

It's the 2010 RedBull RB6 diffuser no less! I knew that I watched F1 for a reason!

[Adam43]

People want to see it. They want to generate interest. However they don't want to give too much away. Considering all that we end up in the situation we have described above.

I generally support the no covers rule, but I love the stand in front of it thing. It makes it all more fun. Finding out should be a little difficult, it adds to it. Although not too hard, as jab demonstrates!
If we have a situation where these things are 'looked at' then the sport is dead. The priorities are all wrong and people are caring about all the wrong things. IMHO.

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by tristancliffe

An "Event" is a race meeting, not a test or a launch.

Of course, and neither is a car that is stopped on track covered. Perhaps both need to be closed up.

[Last2LiftOff]

Originally Posted by tristancliffe

An "Event" is a race meeting, not a test or a launch.

Sorry to back this up a bit: so what qualifies as not having missed an Event (or 3)? One of the cars must start the race or, once around in qualifying, or?

Hmm, never much need to know that before this year, as I can recall.

[Adam43]

Why do we need to know what an event is?

[Last2LiftOff]

Yeah, need's too strong. More like inquiring minds than, say, food & water.

Wondering what constitutes "failure to take part."

From a sporting and regulatory point of view, each Team that has registered for the Championship is obliged to take part in every event of the season. Any failure to take part, even for just one Championship event, would constitute an infringement both of the Concorde Agreement and the FIA Regulations.

[Tim the Grey]

You could pull a LOT of info out of the original image, with Photoshop!

Meantime, it looks like the exhausts come out of that ventral fin/box/thing?
Hmmm. I thought that had been disallowed 20 years back?