FOTA Announcement 05 March 2009

[axle]

New Points system put forward:
1st: 12
2nd: 9
3rd: 7
4th: 5
5th: 4
6th: 3
7th: 2
8th: 1

New Cost Reduction measures:

Wind tunnel use will be restricted this year, and teams will only be allowed to use 60% models and maximum speeds of 50m/s.

Wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) use will be reduced based on a fixed ratio, meaning a team can trade in wind tunnel time for CFD time up to an overall limit.
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"For 2010, there will be further reduction. On the aerodynamic side we have agreed on the level of aero development. It will be cut in half again: it will be reduced to 50% of the 2009 level.
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"On the chassis side we have agreed on the restriction of the number of parts or updates per year. We will only have one single specification per year for wheels/survival cell/roll structures and front and rear impact structures.

"Two specifications per year, which is one update, for suspension assemblies and skid block. Three specs for engine cover, sidepods, diffuser, floor and air ducts. And five per year for wings, where trimming will be allowed."
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For transmissions FOTA will be put in place a three-year homologation, meaning gearboxes will not be developed from 2010 to 2012.

There will be four gearboxes per driver per season and teams will be able to buy a gearbox package for 1.5 million Euros.
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FOTA is aiming to have a standard KERS for 2010 and that it will be put out to tender.
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Exotic materials will be further restricted or eliminated," Theissen continued. "And on the engine side we will have a further reduction in engine lease price of 37.5%.
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"Brakes will be homologated, which means same spec all year and telemetry and radio systems will be standard spec."
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NONE of this is set in stone but this is part of their answer to what to do with the sport for its continued survival and its fans.

[axle]

Nicked from GPUpdate.net

Technical

2009:
- More than 100% increase in mileage per engine (eight engines per driver per season)
- Reduction in wind tunnel and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) usage
- Engine available at €8 million per team per season

2010:
- Engine available at €5 million per team per season
- Gearbox available at €1.5 million per team per season
- Standardised KERS (put out to tender, with a target price of €1-2 million per team per season)
- Target a further 50% reduction of the 2009 aerodynamic development spend
- Specified number of chassis, bodywork and aerodynamic development iterations
(homologations) during the season
- Prohibition of a wide range of exotic, metallic and composite materials
- Standardised telemetry and radio systems


Sporting

2009:
- Testing reduction (50%)
- New points-scoring system (12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1), to give greater differentiation/reward to grand prix winners
- Race starting fuel loads, tyre specifications and refuelling data to be made public

2010:
- Commitment to recommend new qualifying format
- Radical new points-scoring opportunities (eg, one constructors' championship point to be awarded for the fastest race pit stop)
- Further testing reductions (four four-day single-car pre-season tests plus one single-car pre-season shakedown)
- Reduction of grand prix duration (250km or a maximum of one hour 40 minutes) pending the approval of the commercial rights holder


Commercial

2009:
- Increased data provision for media
- Explore means by which the presentation of Formula One action can be more informatively and dynamically presented, common to other sports such as tennis and cricket, to dramatically improve engagement with the public
- Nominated senior team spokesman available for TV during grand prix
- Commitment to enhance consumer experience via team and FOTA websites
- Mandatory driver autograph sessions during grand prix weekends

2010:
- Commitment to enhance consumer experience via TV coverage

[xpensive]

How about this:

* Engine available at €5 million per team per season
* Gearbox available at €1.5 million per team per season
* Standardised KERS (put out to tender, with a target price of €1-2 million per team per season)

How do they figure here, the teams should spend another 1-2 MEUR for the once a lap extra 80 Hp?
A monetary waste, me thinks.

[axle]

How about this:

* Engine available at €5 million per team per season
* Gearbox available at €1.5 million per team per season
* Standardised KERS (put out to tender, with a target price of €1-2 million per team per season)

How do they figure here, the teams should spend another 1-2 MEUR for the once a lap extra 80 Hp?
A monetary waste, me thinks.

That would surely depend on the price of developing it yourself...and wasn't there talk of the HP Boost going up after a couple of years...Personally I'd want the most transferable system to win (transferable to road cars that is)

[xpensive]

My strongest objection is to the propoertions in cost for the different components axle, think about it.
Besides, most engineers involved (except BMW) seem to agree this has very little bearing on road cars. I made an energy-sketch on the KERS-thread a while ago in an attempt to explain the limited potential for KERS.

[DaveKillens]

This is exciting, I like the direction this meeting went. Costs have to go down, or else the sport will not survive long. So difficult measures have to be taken, such as a drastic reduction in testing and wind tunnel time. That's just the way it is.

- New points-scoring system (12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1), to give greater differentiation/reward to grand prix winners
- Race starting fuel loads, tyre specifications and refuelling data to be made public

And I really like where the public will be made aware of starting fuel loads and such. Good stuff.

[ESPImperium]

This is exciting, I like the direction this meeting went. Costs have to go down, or else the sport will not survive long. So difficult measures have to be taken, such as a drastic reduction in testing and wind tunnel time. That's just the way it is.

- New points-scoring system (12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1), to give greater differentiation/reward to grand prix winners
- Race starting fuel loads, tyre specifications and refuelling data to be made public

And I really like where the public will be made aware of starting fuel loads and such. Good stuff.

I like the idea of publicly avalable fuel levels, but id make it a requirement for each car to start with 20 laps of fuel, no more, no less. Altho if there is a saftey car fuel will be saved. Id also make a standardised fuel tank that can hold no more than 20 laps, meaning that KERS will come into that equasion, so the $1-2million for having KERS looks more like a good idea.

Id like to see a more standardised formula, but id like to see aero regs being opened up, but a cap on the ammount of people in a aero department at each team, id limit them to a maximum of no more than 30-40 people, that would mean for some teams they would have to cut al least 70% of the people in their aero department.

Id also like to see races reduced, it would be a good idea, but id also like to see a rewards point system introduced as well, what id like to see is:

Fastest Lap: 3 Points
Pole: 2 points
Most Overtaking: 5 points (from starting posistion) [Alonso @ Singapore 08 as a case study]

Something like that, something to give the mid pack guys some hope to go all out and get some points for fastest lap when they are racing for 15th posistion. Give the mid pack guys some hope.

[modbaraban]

The reduction of race duration and public fuel load is a load of bull*hit. Not only they made fuel strategy more predictable by introducing the full-tank qualy rules, now they want to kill that area of traditional F1 spectacle altogether And when did the public vote for ruduction of Grand Prix to Cup-like races?

I totally the proposed points system, though.

[Ciro Pabón]

ESPImperium idea of points for more overtaking is genial.

I wonder if testing shouldn't be limited in money (X millions), rather than in time (X weeks).

I think that when you limit the allowable time for research, you encourage less empirical research.

Maybe if you limit the allowable money for research, you encourage more efficient forms of research.

On the other hand, I guess the teams will learn to "cram" more tests in the few weeks available.

[Ogami musashi]

Actually autosport has soem info on the "more information" and this includes some cool features like cornering lines graphics, GPS position, incident replay (in a small window).

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73568

On the technical side, well... i was afraid of the "homologation" of bodywork; in the end their proposal is more sensible i think as the it still allows for in season tweak and at the same time forces teams to introduce efficient new solutions.

More importantly wings can be trimmed all season long.


The other solutions do not shock me but well of course i'd rather like more freedom but i'm happy they don't go too much towards the Spec series a-la GP2.

I'm still a bit disapointed about the technical details however, the FIA offered some hints with the moveable aeros and possibility unfreeze of certains areas (like wings) if costs were to be brought down but FOTA only offers some standardization ideas and do not talk about the "track redesign"..

Well well the WMSC is for the 17th march so we'll know more of it soon i presume.

[Kester]

I like the idea of being able to see lines taken through corners, a la HAWK eye in snooker/cricket/etc.

[kilcoo316]

- Race starting fuel loads, tyre specifications and refuelling data to be made public

- Reduction of grand prix duration (250km or a maximum of one hour 40 minutes) pending the approval of the commercial rights holder

Disagree with these two...

Was refuelling not to be abolished anyway?

As long as race fuel loads in qualifying go out the door - I'm happy.



I don't like to see GP lengths reduced - what would have happened in Brazil last year if it had been even a lap shorter?

[Conceptual]

So,

Is there a REAL pinnacle racing series out there that I am not aware of?

Most of this stuff is cool, but only fixing what the dumb-asses have screwed up over the last few years.

Why limit CFD when we are on the verge of quantum computing?
Why make race fuel known, and keep parc ferme?
Why remove tyre warmers?

Because it is now Theater, not Pinnacle Motorsport Racing.

Who has the alternative, because I am very much looking for new options at this point.

The Golden Age of F1 is far behind us, and the course is NOT set to return. Why waste any more time on it? I dont have a good answer for that...

[Sawtooth-spike]

so how long till we have a phone in vote for the winner? or a phone in vote and the winning driver of the day get 5 points.

[kilcoo316]

Why limit CFD when we are on the verge of quantum computing?

Err.... well...


lets not get a little ahead of ourselves!