F1 aerials

[nelson.tfr]

What's with the new aerials used in F1 testing?

http://www.autosport.com/gallery/photo.php/id/1326...

Will they be a permanent feature this year?

[Defcon5]

Could it be some kind of GPS thing? To plot the lines or something?

[anonymous-user]

They are only for testing i think, teams used them last year in testing too.

[skinny]

teams use them every year - it's just to get more accurate pressure measurements away further away from the car. you won't see them come bahrain race as they'll use the little ones on teh nosecone then.

[touring fan]

They are called 'pitot tubes' and are used for measuring air pressure at certain points on the car.
They originally were and are used in aircraft.

They teams use them in testing only and move them on and around the car to take measurements. The Ferrari seems to be measuring the air pressure high above the flow to the rear wing area.

Here's more;
http://f1-dictionary.110mb.com/pitot_tube.html

[tylerama]

I think they allow greater amounts of telemetry data to be transmitted whilst testing.

[touring fan]

tylerama said:

I think they allow greater amounts of telemetry data to be transmitted whilst testing.

Errm, no.
As has already been pointed out - they are not aerials.

[jains15]

Sure I saw a pic last year of the maclaren with an ugly black frame attcahed to the sidepod with about six pito tubes on it...

[DrTre]

jains15 said:

Sure I saw a pic last year of the maclaren with an ugly black frame attcahed to the sidepod with about six pito tubes on it...

And this year, and one across the rear of the diffuser.