Summer break

[Richard]

Some teams shut up shop as soon as they returned to base yesterday, inc McLaren. I gather Ferrari are closing down later this week, others are stopping even later.

I think McLaren have probably got it right. Their designers can be thinking, sketching and trying out ideas on their laptops. They will probably pop around to see each other and the laptops will come out.

They will be buzzing with ideas when they turn up for work in 2 weeks, do some detailed analysis for a couple of days, possibly test some carbon lay up techniques, then go into production for 10 days before Spa.

In the meantime, other teams will be in production this week, their engineers will have a eureka moment during the break, but it will be too late to change any parts.

Any other ideas about this?

[ESPImperium]

All team computer equiptment that designers use must be locked away in a secure cupboard and locked by a FIA representitive.

However, you cannot police personal computung equiptment and software licences, let alone pen and paper. You cannot stop people "meeting up" in the same hotel on holiday with the "i didnt know you were coming here" and then deciding to send the wifes and kids off to the swimming pool or shopping malls for the afternoon and havind a few soft drinks or slightly harder with a few pieces of A4 and a laptop that has CFD and a CAD software on it do have a look at a design for their own pleasure.

The holiday idea is totally un-enforceable and totally farceacle.

One thing that isnt enforceable is that Toro Rosso are going on holiday next week and they have "rented" the Red Bull wind tunnel and CFD facilities for the second year running for a week.

The 4 week thing should be taken down to 3 and an extra GP should be added IMO. Or at least have a testing week in there for young guys.

[mx_tifoso]

I feel sorry for the families of those who are still slaving over work during their holiday breaks.

[n_anirudh]

Well one can always monitor (CFD) simulations thru remote login (for THE most trusted employees)...but nothing will prevent them from coming up with ideas and solutions and running their own stuff

or some academically oriented guys might write a paper or two

[Confused_Andy]

All team computer equiptment that designers use must be locked away in a secure cupboard and locked by a FIA representitive.

I thought the break was a "gentlemans agreement" not a FIA law, why did they become involved...

[xpensive]

...
I think McLaren have probably got it right. Their designers can be thinking, sketching and trying out ideas on their laptops. They will probably pop around to see each other and the laptops will come out.

They will be buzzing with ideas when they turn up for work in 2 weeks, do some detailed analysis for a couple of days, possibly test some carbon lay up techniques, then go into production for 10 days before Spa.

In the meantime, other teams will be in production this week, their engineers will have a eureka moment during the break, but it will be too late to change any parts.

Any other ideas about this?

This is precisely why next years "staff limitation agreement" will be so difficult to police, trainees, consultants and contractors, faked billings and volunteers, what a mess it will be.

[marcush.]

workarounds ,be it technical regs or staff limitation,F1 is all about creativity ,after all.

[WhiteBlue]

This is precisely why next years "staff limitation agreement" will be so difficult to police, trainees, consultants and contractors, faked billings and volunteers, what a mess it will be.

The RRA is already in place and although we do not know the details there is almost certainly a head count cap in place for this year. Remember that the resource cap is based on the Mercedes plan which called for a sliding reduction over the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. For practical reasons we can probably assume that there is more than one target figure per year and that successive 2010 figures become increasingly restrictive. The reduction of workforce must be an ongoing process which is progressing as we speak.

The RRA btw is not a gentleman's agreement. It is a legally binding agreement which can be enforced in a court of law. For many reasons the content is largely secrete but we know some details.

[xpensive]

I believe you when you say so WB, but it would be most intriguiong to know how this rule is formulated. A head-count or work-hours limitation, this could be very different depending on work ethics and what not? What about a salary-cap, like the one they tried in NHL, when the top-players got fantastioc bonuses from sponsors during off-season?

One thing is for certain, Newey, Simons and Zander will not be spending the coming weeks wanking.

[segedunum]

The staff head count will be difficult to police but just about possible, but this enforced shutdown is impossible as far as I can see. No one is going to stop work and everyone will either be taking work home or they'll be covertly moving some work to a secret location.

[f1italia]

They could add another race to this schedule. The summer break is to long. Bring back Imola.

[ESPImperium]

All team computer equiptment that designers use must be locked away in a secure cupboard and locked by a FIA representitive.

I thought the break was a "gentlemans agreement" not a FIA law, why did they become involved...

It is such an agreement, but it was aggreed that all computer equiptment owned by the team that staff take home is all put into a locked room, and this room locked by a FIA reprosentitive for impartiality. Its something that the smaller teams and BMW Sauber last year wanted to make it "fair" for them as they knew some bigger teams wouldnt abide by the aggreement.

Hence why i think its a totally assinine thing to have, a summer break, id have put a rule in place that every team member (exept drivers and certain key personell) have to take a race weekend off in the middle of the season in Europe and this is enforced by the acreditation passes that everyone in the paddock has to have on their person at all times. As for development, id have the cut off for all thems to develop their cars as the last week in August or September, as that way it gives all teams a better chance of developing a better car for the next season. If a team decides a car can go no futher before that its fine, but no late developments to try and win a championship on the last (few) GP(s) as well. Id think of it as this, what you carry into Singapore is what you have for the remainder of the season, everything is Holmogated from then in.

More realistic than a 4 week break i think, that way you can get the season to finish at a more realistic time at the end of October/Beginning of November and posibly put in another GP.

[ben_watkins]

Renault are openning their factory for 3 days, giving tours.. I've just booked myself on one!

http://www.the-mia.com/Events-Diary

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

, Newey, Simons and Zander will not be spending the coming weeks wanking.

zander???

[marcush.]

I ´d think it would be even better to give a degree of freedom in updates up to August ,and then have the car fixed as it is-the hockenheim configuration is there to stay.

But I would allow the last three teams in the constructors more test days (Team 10 gets 2 days,team 11 3days ,team 12 4days for example..)
I think giving those in the learning a proper chance to close the gap would be a decent move .This could be reevaluated every half season