MERCEDES-RED BULL: A DIFFERENT INTERCOOLER INSTALLATION
The Mercedes intercooler cannot be seen on the right picture above because it has been placed directly within the car’s chassis, in front of the ICE and near the compressor (basically in the yellow area). This installation requires less pipework, which in turn helps reduces the turbo lag phenomenon, clears the sidepod inlets, and limits internal airflow resistance.
The reigning world champions are the only team that uses an air-to-water intercooler (which is a more compact assembly than its air-to-air counterpart), with the water being cooled down via a specific radiator located in the left sidepod.
By contrast, the intercooler (in yellow) and the other coolers (in blue) are placed next to each other and inside the RB11’s sidepods at Red Bull-Renault. The pipe (in orange) that links the intercooler to the engine inlet is quite long, while Renault’s manifold installation sits at a lower level than the Mercedes exhaust assembly (see both elements in red).
