Flexible wings controversy 2010

[raymondu999]

I was just looking over old videos on youtube. In 2007 or 2008, wasn't redbull also being flamed for having a rear wing that was clearly flexing from the onboard videos?

[forty-two]

FIA Tech regs as from the FIA site:
"ARTICLE 21 : CHANGES FOR 2012
21.1 Changes to Article 3.12.1 :
3.12.1 With the skid block referred to in Article 3.13 removed all sprung parts of the car situated from
330mm behind the front wheel centre line to the rear wheel centre line, and which are visible from
underneath, must form surfaces which lie on one of two parallel planes, the reference plane or the
step plane. This does not apply to any parts of rear view mirrors which are visible, provided each of
these areas does not exceed 12000mm² when projected to a horizontal plane above the car, or to
any parts of the panels referred to in Article 15.4.7 and 15.4.8.
The step plane must be 50mm above the reference plane.
21.2 Changes to Article 3.12.6 :
3.12.6 To help overcome any possible manufacturing problems, and not to permit any design which may
contravene any part of these regulations, dimensional tolerances are permitted on bodywork
situated between a point lying 330mm behind the front wheel centre line and the rear wheel centre
line. A vertical tolerance of +/- 5mm is permissible across the surfaces lying on the reference and
step planes and a horizontal tolerance of 5mm 3mm is permitted when assessing whether a surface
is visible from beneath the car. In addition to this, an absolute vertical tolerance of +/- 3mm is
permissible across the surfaces lying on the reference and step planes between a point lying
330mm behind the front wheel centre line and the rear wheel centre line."

Judging from this Bernies Spannerman has figured out what Adrian did with the floor...using the available tolerance to dreat not quite paralell reference and stepplanes and not even a flat bottom , the perfectly parallel skidblock is mounted to....if its not flexible at least it´s a flexible interpretation of rules to achieve more downforce and lower front rideheights.

Sorry for the delay Marcush, I hadn't noticed your post and for a time I was not getting any notification emails.

I think they might have closed one of the loopholes, but there is still a GLARING one which I think perhaps only RedBull had properly exploited, with Ferrari catching them up (actually the F150 pictures indicate that perhaps they have now caught on fully!).

The definition of the reference plane and step plane STILL doesn't make any mention of it needing to be parralel, or within any tolerance of parralel to the ground on which the vehicle is standing. This allows you to project an imaginary line which enters the ground just behind the FW, meaning that if your FW is scraping the ground, it can still be >750mm above the reference plane.

[forty-two]

I was just looking over old videos on youtube. In 2007 or 2008, wasn't redbull also being flamed for having a rear wing that was clearly flexing from the onboard videos?

Not that I remember, but then again I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning so it's entirely possible that you're right. Do you have any links?

[raymondu999]

I was just looking over old videos on youtube. In 2007 or 2008, wasn't redbull also being flamed for having a rear wing that was clearly flexing from the onboard videos?

Not that I remember, but then again I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning so it's entirely possible that you're right. Do you have any links?

Cue this up at 3:30 into the video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXiotevV ... 205F2FDAA5[/youtube]

[forty-two]

I was just looking over old videos on youtube. In 2007 or 2008, wasn't redbull also being flamed for having a rear wing that was clearly flexing from the onboard videos?

Not that I remember, but then again I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning so it's entirely possible that you're right. Do you have any links?

Cue this up at 3:30 into the video:

I think I can see what you mean, but I'm not getting any audio on that link, should I be? (again, it could be me!)

[raymondu999]

You should. Pat talks in English. The commentary though is in another language. Not sure what.

[FW17]

There are a few tests that have been stipulated to check the front wing and splitter flex.

Last year Red Bull had a wing that could run lower (not sure if it is flex), but could the same be done at the rear end of the car? (I mean the diffuser of the car)

What will be the benefit of running a flexing diffuser?

If the diffuser does flex (with a single deck this year) what are the checks the FIA has?

[komninosm]

You should. Pat talks in English. The commentary though is in another language. Not sure what.

It's Greek ^.^