Four mirrors anyone?

[Pulidor]

My guess is: two mirrors for the tires and another two for the rest! But I'd really like to know the real purpose of it!

http://i9.tinypic.com/4clfpk0.jpg

Can anyone enlight me? :)

[Norwegian Blue]

With that and the new winglets it looks like they are trying to make getting in and out of the car a little more interesting...Le Mans style starts anybody? :D

[luvracin]

Maybe they're just testing the outboard mirrors to see if the drivers are comfortable with them?

[Erki]

To see how the rear tyres are coping. :)

[Osella]

Maybe they're just testing the outboard mirrors to see if the drivers are comfortable with them?

Looks like, they just wouldn't have had time to manufacture new monocoque parts without the cockpit mirrors, but want to try the Renau...ermmm...new 'all our own idea' outboard mirrors.

Either that or they're getting cocky and putting one set on to see the Ferrari's and one set for the BMW's!

[luvracin]

Looks like, they just wouldn't have had time to manufacture new monocoque parts without the cockpit mirrors, but want to try the Renau...ermmm...new 'all our own idea' outboard mirrors.


If you look at where the outer mirror is mounted, there are two small holes suggesting the outer mirror has been bolted on. This is why I think they are just "testing" these parts.

[Firstgear]

More space for sponsors.

[Osella]

If you look at where the outer mirror is mounted, there are two small holes suggesting the outer mirror has been bolted on. This is why I think they are just "testing" these parts.

Yeah, that's basically what I was saying, but obviously they haven't had time to produce cockpit section bodywork without mirrors. But mounted where they are, the drivers would have to turn their head 80 degrees just to look in them!

[Osella]

More space for sponsors.

I've got it! They're so that Hamilton and Alonso can check that their hair and sideburns are precisely the right length and angle to match McLaren standard specifications before they get out of the car! :laugh:
(In case a sponsor pulls out of a multi-million deal because Alonso has uneven eyebrows...or something...:rolleyes :)

[Ranger]

Heh, they're probably used in the case that the driver doesn't gravel up before pulling into parc ferme. That probably would have helped Kubica.

They could be aero-efficient as well, but yes I would think it would be 2 for the tyres and 2 for the rest.

[Hawkmoon]

Well, the extra mirrors should make it easier for Alonso and Hamilton to let the leaders through. ;)

[maxu05]

Perhaps his doctor told him he needs bi-focals, and they wont fit with the helmut on ?

[Big Ben]

I don't see the purpose of these 4 mirrors. I would understand if they used 2 mirrors for each car in in different positions but this way how does it help them? They can see the difference between a car with 2 mirrors and a car with 4?

[Tomski]

Why bother with mirrors at all?

Helemtted and strapped into the car, using tiny mirrors looking through the rear wing, travelling at speed, how much can you actually see?

MOTO GP can do without, so why not F1?

[fly_ac]

Here is another view of the 4 mirrors.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4087/deh0728fe76cd0.jpg

[DimitraF1]

pre season lack of interest?:P i am bored...

[Rusty Spanner]

At a guess I'd saying they're running 4 mirrors to allow the drivers to make a direct comparison. If they wanted a view of the tyres and a view further behind I'd have thought they'd opt for a single two section mirror (which I think McLaren has done before). That way there's less stuff cluttering up the airflow over the car.

[Rippers]

I think they should be banned, just two mirrrors should be allowed to moniter track action directly behind, if teams use these mirrors just to moniter rear tyres then so be it. Driving should be about upcoming corners and how you deal with them not how jolly your rear tyres are.

[blakebeatty]

I think they should be banned, just two mirrrors should be allowed to moniter track action directly behind, if teams use these mirrors just to moniter rear tyres then so be it. Driving should be about upcoming corners and how you deal with them not how jolly your rear tyres are.

amen to that. there is enough to concentrate on without worrying about your rear tyre wear. also, i think that those sidepod shields that they are attached to are new from the time of unveiling. i dont remember seeing them before

[Erki]

Shouldn't the drivers feel the rear tyre grip via their butts anyway?
It's like Tom & Jerry cartoon where Jerry puts Tom's tail on fire and Tom only realises it after he has seen it. And that too after Jerry has given him a hint.

[Rippers]

Shouldn't the drivers feel the rear tyre grip via their butts anyway?
It's like Tom & Jerry cartoon where Jerry puts Tom's tail on fire and Tom only realises it after he has seen it. And that too after Jerry has given him a hint.

QIA, F1 is about how fast you go not how you moniter the guy behind you

[Ranger]

MOTO GP can do without, so why not F1?

A few reasons:

MotoGP riders don't have pitstops, and so strategically monitoring/managing the tyres for wear and blisters wouldn't be an issue. MotoGP riders don't have to look at what happens in pitstops, too. In F1, it often is the case, or is just handy to do so.

Another thing would be that the size difference between a MotoGP bike and an F1 car is such that it would be much easier to move over in a MotoGP race if someone swerved in front of you than would be the case if an F1 car swerved in front of another one. There would probably be an instant collision then and there.

Rene Arnoux in the 1980s caused numbers of careless accidents by not checking his mirrors, and to me that is proof that if you don't look behind you in F1, stupid accidents would occur. It'd just be too dangerous - think Monaco.

Convenience also tells you that its much easier for an F1 driver to look in his mirrors than a MotoGp rider who has to be moving his body everywhere to be quick... they don't really have the luxury of just "getting a glance" in the mirrors.