F1 - Renault R27 Technical Analysis

[Rory Phoulorie]

The R27 is mostly an evolution of the title-winning R26. The area around the sidepods, however, has undergone some more radical changes. Vertical winglets (left arrow) have been added in front of the sidepod inlets, also acting as pillars for the car's rear view mirrors, which are now positioned Ferrari-style on the external edges of the sidepods. The bottom edge of the winglets now extends along the length of the sidepods (right arrow), eventually connecting with the flip-ups in front of the rear wheels. The aim is to prevent any interruption of the airflow towards the car's rear end.

http://www.formula1.com/insight/technical_analysis/team/2007/6/375.html



Renault's new car, the R27, boasts a completely revised gearbox, featuring the 'quick shift' system already adopted by some teams, designed to cut shift times to practically zero. The gearbox is coupled with the RS27 engine, a refined version of last year's V8, featuring new pistons, cams, valves, conrods, and redesigned combustion chambers.

http://www.formula1.com/insight/technical_analysis/team/2007/6/375.html

[Plex]

Impressive..

[Rory Phoulorie]

Technical Analysis - Grand Prix - Australia

Renault R27 - revised sidepod winglets



Not a revolutionary change, recalling a similar solution adopted last season, but interesting in that now both the side of the vertical shield and the winglet elements feature two open slits, which help raise the air pressure in this area. They also assist in diverting airflow towards the outer edges of the car, reducing the turbulence generated by the rotation of the rear wheels.

http://www.formula1.com/race/technical_analysis/770/389.html



Renault R27 - rear view mirror pillars



The rear view mirrors on this car are housed in the uppermost section of the front sidepod winglets. During winter testing, rival teams trialling similar solutions complained about the mirror flexing too much when the car was in motion. Hence before Australia, Renault decided to adopt an additional pillar on each side (red arrow) to increase the stiffness of the assembly and hence reduce flexing under load.


http://www.formula1.com/race/technical_analysis/770/391.html