Mercedes surprised the paddock when it revealed a dramatic new sidepod design for the second pre-season test one week ago today.
Reaction Engines SABRE rocket designWhile the aerodynamic benefits of the shrunken sidepods have attracted much comment, the key technology differentiator in their design appears to lie in the cooling of the car. Novel heat transfer technology developed in the aerospace industry may be the key that has unlocked this opportunity for Mercedes to shrink wrap their car tighter than most on the grid.
During the test Formula 1’s chief technology officer Pat Symonds referred to a company he believes Mercedes have worked with on the development of their intercooler.
“The intercooler I think comes from Reaction Engines in Oxfordshire, people who are doing this sort of air-breathing rocket motor. The spin-off from that has been this really, extremely efficient heat exchanger technology and I think that’s part of the reason why they’ve been able to produce the…