Well, so McLaren has a very likeable driver with potential for the WDC (Button) and the prettiest car this year. I guess I'll watch the races to see the Platypus' get spanked...it might actually be enjoyable that way.

In that drawing, Chunx...it definetly looks like some sort of intake. Newey's known to do different things, for sure, and after the loss of blown diffusers that's carried RBR for the past 2 years, they've got to do something.

Edit - Not sure what it is, but there's a decent look at the 1:05 mark...looks "scoopish" or just a blunt area, can't really tell.

The RB8 Revealed

Scoop. About 95% sure now. But, where does the air go after it goes inside the scoop? That's the question.

Yeah, I'm with you on that after seeing that video. If it's not a scoop, it's going to be one hell of an aero block.

There's a couple of people at Pitpass, a F1 site I frequent, that are wondering the same thing...where's the air going? Under the car or into the cockpit or through to the back? Newey built the RB7 based on the premise of getting more air "(blown exhaust) underneath the car, so maybe this is a replacement for that lost air.

I'm sure it's going to be broken down in depth, starting tomorrow, when better and clearer pictures are available.

Pretty good article..and highlight...on the RB8 nose duct:

Red Bull, the RB8 and the Nose Duct

Probably not. You see, once the car slows for a corner, that air flow would taper off. The blown exhaust allowed for high speed/high volume air to go into the diffuser despite the car having slowed down (which is why the throttle stayed high even with the driver off the throttle). This is similar to the boundry layer control device or "blown flaps" of some second generation jet fighters in the early 1960s, which used bleed air from the engines to blow over the flaps for more lift at landing speeds.

Perhaps it is some kind of weird take on the "f" duct or whatever they called that device from the 2010 season. Perhaps it adds to airflow at higher speeds, or leads to another radiator, etc. Certainly will be interesting to see what it's for!

I thought maybe it was to cool their KERS, since they had so many problems with it last year...but Newey didn't care for KERS in the first place, so I doubt he designed anything to help it.

The bump still looks stupid on the RB8, but since it's a scoop now it looks a bit less stupid to me. At least it shows a function.

Platypus strike again...

2012 Williams

Mini wings on the front and some sort of vent at the end of the nose...maybe a Mercedes/Ferrari style front wing diffuser?


Edit - Adrian Newey, on the RB8 scoop..."The slot in the nose is simply driver cooling. Traditionally the driver cooling slot is at the front of the nose, but really for styling as much as anything we moved it to where you now see it to break up the aesthetics of the ramp."

The wings on the front of the nose are probably for video camera installation. Sometimes you see them at the top of the cooling duct as well.

Is it me or is the front wing on that Williams held on by a really small cross-sectional area of CFRP?