New 2013 F1 aerodynamic formula

[gridwalker]

That is most excellent news! I look forwards to reading about these regs in more detail

[wesley123]

I find it quite annoying to see another spec or heavily regulated part, Indycars become way more exciting from an technical pov.

[WhiteBlue]

Perhaps the experts have read the thread and realized that the fans want tunnels. =D>

[Blackout]

If they go back to full wide floors with tunnels, wings will become much simpler. The cars´s will probably look closer to Champcars, with the wider sidepods around the cockpit.

http://www.champcarmodels.de/images/Ind ... 20Jani.jpg

http://www.stickyfingersdesign.com/imag ... %20car.jpg

http://migf1.256.gr/cars/pics/foto_car82mp41b.jpg
http://www.histomobile.com/histomob/int ... 533101.jpg

Or the previous FR 3.5



They will not necessarily loose the coke bottle shape, thanks to that kind of venturi canals, right ?

[WhiteBlue]

Or F2

[747heavy]

I don´t think so Blackout,

I think your example or WB´s F2 is somewhere in the ball park.
The Champcar´s also still have a coke bottle shape.
It´s partly covered with the flip up´s they use in front of the rear wheels,
like with your FR 3.5.

We will need to wait and see, what the bodywork rules are in this respect.

What is interesting in the article WB has linked to, is that the cars wont have a flat floor - if I understand it correctly.

Either they maintain a step, or going down the LeMans route where the floor raises at an angle from the centre line outwards.
But the claim is, that the centreline of the car/floor is lower then the outer edges of the floor, to prevent people from trying to run ultra low and get a skirt like sealing effect.
But I think the will use large Vortex generators at the front, to "seal" the sides of the car (champcar does this for example)




ChampCar floor (courtesy http://www.mulsannescorner.com)


will be interesting to see, if we still se the high airbox with the turbos.
Formula Palmer and F2 still have them, but there is maybe no need for it.

[ringo]

I gotta a feeling the engineers will make the downforce levels the same as in 2008.

The floor should be free. If it's not the cars will be basically spec cars, with only engine and suspension tuning setting them apart.

Aero is and will always be the holy grail of F1. It will never be ignored. The engineeers will find a way to keep the levels up.

[WhiteBlue]

The way they have integrated it in F2 may be indicative. Fixed skirts. The side pots will probably come a lot more forward if previously reported ideas will be applied. The noses will be low due to the CoG needs of the KERS machinery.

[Blackout]

I gotta a feeling the engineers will make the downforce levels the same as in 2008.

But will they succeed to sensibly reduce turbulences ?

Thanks 747. Interesting...
have you some photos showing a high aibox mounted to a turbo ?

[wesley123]

I gotta a feeling the engineers will make the downforce levels the same as in 2008.

The floor should be free. If it's not the cars will be basically spec cars, with only engine and suspension tuning setting them apart.

Aero is and will always be the holy grail of F1. It will never be ignored. The engineeers will find a way to keep the levels up.

I do agree with that, Aerodynamics is just a way for designers to show your the best, Engine builders for example do not got much recognition.

It is also something that makes your car recognizable apart from the paint job, it should be kept at all costs.

What i would really love to see(though ids never going to happen) is somewhat of an group C formula 1, give the cars an (really low) fuel limit put some weight and strength limits(and tub sizes) and let the engineers see who's the best.

The idea of 'The best driver should win' is just rubbish and something you should only see in single-make championships.

I really cannot understand why teams now need to cut costs and have to limit on anything, it wasnt necessary in the past 60 years so why now? Teams come and go, it is just the way it goes.
Do oyu guys think that if Ferrari really want to leave F1 anything would stop them from doing so? same counts for Mercedes, McLaren and every team of the grid. If teams feel the need to go away from f1 they will do that and if teams feel the need to go into the F1 they will try to do so either.

[agip]

I don't understand this:

* A far greater proportion of the total downforce of the cars will be created by the underfloor, compared to the wings;

* A major reduction in the amount of total downforce created by the car;

Where it says "by the car" it means the wings or the total downforce of nowadays?

How can you mantain the current levels of performance with a major reduction of downforce?


Hmmm maybe this explains it a bit:

"We were just told 'That's what it will be, you've got to come up with a car spec that is not going to be more than five seconds a lap slower than a current F1 car'.

[WhiteBlue]

Next year they are supposed to reduce downforce significantly. It rests to be seen if it really happens. I'm pretty sure it will not happen in 2013 unless they require a spec floor. There is just too much downforce potential in unrestricted ground effect floors to give the teams a free ride on this.

[wesley123]

Next year they are supposed to reduce downforce significantly. It rests to be seen if it really happens. I'm pretty sure it will not happen in 2013 unless they require a spec floor. There is just too much downforce potential in unrestricted ground effect floors to give the teams a free ride on this.

And since when is downforce a problem in an high-downforce formula?

[WhiteBlue]

Next year they are supposed to reduce downforce significantly. It rests to be seen if it really happens. I'm pretty sure it will not happen in 2013 unless they require a spec floor. There is just too much downforce potential in unrestricted ground effect floors to give the teams a free ride on this.

And since when is downforce a problem in an high-downforce formula?

Only for the last twenty years or so. It may have escaped your notice, but the rule makers have continuously been concerned with cutting downforce back and the technical development through loop holes is building it up faster than they can curb it. The same people who try to cut downforce by banning double diffusors, reducing diffusor height and banning open blown diffusors for 2011 had six or seven downforce curbing actions which all went wrong. Cutting downforce is the eternal point on the agenda of every meeting of the technical working group. It is easy to predict that they will not fix it in 2013 unless they put in a spec floor.

[747heavy]

Thanks 747. Interesting...
have you some photos showing a high aibox mounted to a turbo ?

the F2 which WB posted is one example
and here is a photo from a old Formula Palmer with an Audi turbo engine (production based engine), which sort of was the forerunner of the new F2.
(note the subframe/support structure around the engine, which connects the gearbox/bellhouse with the chassis/monocoque. As this is a road car engine, it was never designed to be a fully stressed engine, so this is nessesary in this car)




I´m relative sure, that most junior formulas choose this configuration to look closer to F1 (the current), and not out of technical considerations.
Which makes it easier to attract drivers and sponsors.
OTAH: we see with the coupe´s in LeMans that Audi and also Peugoet chose a top (roof) mounted ai intake for next year.
So, the jury is perhaps still out on this one.