There has been more testing of my silly wing, this time on track.
TBH, I wasn't expecting much success, as the wing itself is only a part of the "phase 2" package (the various other bits weren't ready in time), and as such hasn't been optimised (apart from anything else, it's still sitting about 8" higher than it should be!). So that means no front wing to balance, no faring on the rollbars, and none of the extra little bits that will reduce overall drag and help guide the air to where it wants to be.
As is so often the case, circumstances meant that proper quantitative back-to-back testing was impossible - mixture of wet/damp/dry conditions, different tyre pressures (due to a set-up error last time out!), and the fact that the data logger was playing up, so qualitative evaluation is the best I can offer at this stage. But there was still very useful learning.
The first few sessions were largely dry, and the testing yielding a bit of a mixed bag of results. The bad news is that the drag penalty is huge - 8mph off terminal speed at the end of the main straight, and you can really feel the poor little engine struggling against the bloody great parachute slung out back. The good news is that the balance isn't anything like as bad as I thought it would be - no additional understeer, and just like in the earlier on-road test, the car just feels very solid and planted, especially on corner exit. I didn't get enough laps to really explore the outer limits of apex speeds at the faster corners like Duffus and Clarkes, but my overall impression was that there was definitely more to come (although perhaps not enough to outweigh the straightline penalty).
Then it rained. It really, really rained. So much that the officials were forced to close the track for a while. Even when it re-opened, few drivers were brave enough to venture back out immediately. But time was ticking on, so I donned the waterproof suit and headed back out (this time with Ross Howe in the passenger seat). Oh and I'm so glad I did. The car was absolutely magic. The wing's drag/downforce trade-off all of a sudden made sense. I made no suspension adjustments for the wet, and normally I'd expect it to be two handfuls on such a water-logged track, but absolutely not - it was rock-solid and seemed to generate other-worldly levels of grip (note the lack of mashing and sawing in the video!). OK, things were probably helped by newish R888Rs on the back and actually getting the tyre pressures right, but without really pushing we were literally running rings round everything else on track (i.e. lapping the same cars 3-4 times in a 15 minute session). Duffus, Leslies and Clarkes, where I'd expect to see the biggest gains were awesome, but surprisingly there were also stability improvements through slower corners like McIntires and the chicane (perhaps helped by the psychological effect of greater stability elsewhere).
So, overall, very happy with the result of the test (and quite a lot of fun had into the bargain!). Next steps will be to get the drag reduction pieces fitted (which in turn will allow the rear wing to move into its lower position) to see if I can get the drag penalty down to a more acceptable level. The front wing will follow, but I think I need to do a bit more head scratching over that, because I suspect we might not want to go as aggressive as I'd initially planned, given the current balance without it.
Anyway, here's a little vid - note the rate at which it reels in everything else on track (including the green Caterham R500). Oh, and be very glad of your roofs and windscreens, I was a bit damp after that session!
https://youtu.be/BUAT7jP7reU
that's a serious bit of diffuser going on at the back as well.
thanks!