Monitoring of restrictions

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tpe
tpe
-4
Joined: 03 Feb 2006, 00:24
Location: Greece

Monitoring of restrictions

Post

Hallo,
We all know that the WT models are restricted to 60%. I don't know if the time restriction is still in place or not, but, the question is the same. How are those restrictions are policed? I mean how do we know that a team is not using a 100% model (or even a real car) in their wind tunnel?

Lycoming
Lycoming
106
Joined: 25 Aug 2011, 22:58

Re: Monitoring of restrictions

Post

It's an agreement between some of the teams. Therefore, the FIA has no hand in enforcing it. As for how much power is put in place within the agreement to actually enforce it's terms, I don't know, but the official sanctioning body has no responsibility here.

User avatar
Kiril Varbanov
147
Joined: 05 Feb 2012, 15:00
Location: Bulgaria, Sofia

Re: Monitoring of restrictions

Post

The agreement between the teams is not a gentleman handshake, but its details aren't revealed. Still, in order to have some sort of controls, teams have agreed that their testing base may be visited at any time by external auditors to reject or confirm the rules are in place. None of the teams have had any registered infractions so far.

The only rule you will find from FIA is in Sporting Regulations:
22.9 With the exception of the full scale testing permitted in 22.4(h)(ii) above, no wind tunnel testing may be carried out using a scale model which is greater than 60% of full size.
22.10 No wind tunnel testing may be carried out at a speed exceeding 50 metres/second.

tpe
tpe
-4
Joined: 03 Feb 2006, 00:24
Location: Greece

Re: Monitoring of restrictions

Post

Still, the question is not answered.
Let's say that I want to run a 100% scale WT test with a speed equivalent to 280Km/h.
How is that monitored? Is there any FIA representative present in each WT the teams have? Is there any device that logs the activity?

From what I understand, it's all down to the teams good faith.

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Kiril Varbanov
147
Joined: 05 Feb 2012, 15:00
Location: Bulgaria, Sofia

Re: Monitoring of restrictions

Post

tpe wrote:Still, the question is not answered.
Let's say that I want to run a 100% scale WT test with a speed equivalent to 280Km/h.
How is that monitored? Is there any FIA representative present in each WT the teams have? Is there any device that logs the activity?

From what I understand, it's all down to the teams good faith.
Yes and no.
Most of the teams have already built wind tunnels for 60% models and they simply can't use larger scales. Next we have the commercial vendors which teams work with - imagine if Ferrari had appeared in Toyota's WT with 100% - is this going to remain secret? Every piece of data and second when the fan is blowing is being recorded.
We also have the parts cost when it comes to different scales and finally, there's the data correlation which will render the supposed 100% test useless.
So, it's not down to teams good faith and will, but to sensible arguments - it's more trouble than benefit.
Check more about wind tunnels here - http://f1framework.blogspot.com/2012/12 ... nnels.html

tpe
tpe
-4
Joined: 03 Feb 2006, 00:24
Location: Greece

Re: Monitoring of restrictions

Post

So, while teams during the 90ties (all of them) build 100% scale WT, they modified them in order to follow the new rules, right?

In that case, what Sauber did? As far as I understand, their WT is still 100%.
Regarding the economics, if a full scale real car can be used in the WT, I don't see why it will be more expensive.


PS Excellent article at yout blog.