XRayF1 wrote: ↑13 Jul 2020, 10:35
basti313 wrote: ↑13 Jul 2020, 09:30
TimW wrote: ↑13 Jul 2020, 08:41
I guess that indeed the internals are the reason why Renault chose the brake ducts for their protest. Especially because there is also internal aero. If you want to copy performance you want the brake ducts' aerodynamic performance to be the same (blowing air through the rim etc). But if it is the same, that is a strong indicator that there was more than just pictures.
Absolutely.
I think every other part is at some point visible from every side to copy it (engine covers, floor, etc...). But no one could ever see the inside aero of the brake ducts and that is a very defining and relevant structure.
Sounds like a very smart appeal to check if there is data transfer or not.
The big question for me is what parts Merc will provide? Merc is not stupid, so they will make a good selection. As far as I can see it this was not well defined which brake duct from which race needs to be supplied to the FIA.
While believing that the RP car is indeed legal (at least innocent until proven guilty), how can the FIA actually make Merc providing obvious details of their design?
I would immediately call 'proprietary' and be done with it.
Secondly, as Dans said, the design of a thing is not only its exterior but also its invisible interior.
Material composition, layer structure, backing temperature, duration, etc.
And even if the internals are the same, I could even then easily argue that this is best industry practice.
I just do not get it how you may actually either prove the guilt (FIA) or defend from such an allegation (RP).
I think it is in the rules, that the teams need to supply parts for checks by the FIA. Merc can not get out of this, "proprietary" is certainly covered by the contracts they have and the relevant NDAs.
For the second: I do not think that material and composition play a relevant role for these brake ducts. It is really only about how they internally run the air. They have some external differences, certainly upgrades, but what I would aim for is curvatures, sizing, etc. which would definitely hint for some CADs exchanged in the background. This would be more than "industrial practice" if some distances are similar to the tenth of a mm.
For anything else I totally agree with you...just looking similar is no proof for anything. But I think this is really the background here: RP certainly changed details because they keep the old wire looms, etc...so they certainly changed all external covers. But for the brake ducts every mm counts in the internal design, so this may be the error to catch them...if not these is most probably not much to argue about.