Ideas on 2011 Formula One innovations

[Shrek]

so far i can think of 1 ways F-duct could be back: press a button on the steering wheel and it activates it.

That can't happen for two reasons:-

1, "moveable aerodynamic devices" are banned (except the front wing flaps this year and the rear wing flap next year -the loop hole with the F-duct is that the FIA decided that the driver isn't a "device").

2, The shark fin isn't allowed to join the rear wing next year.

dang i had the whole system worked out too, but at least the shark fin's gone

[Arunas]

I think next year the sidepods will move forward and be sculpted to feed the beam wing which I imagine will be quite sophisticated for next year. Does anyone know the size the tires will be next year? Will they have the same proportions as in 2009, or will they be the same as 2010?

[Giblet]

Are you saying his question was so ridiculous that it deserves a head slapping? I don't think it was.

Maybe an answer would be more constructive, just an idea.

[andrew]

The 2 biggest (legal) innovations that are to be banned for 2011 are the double diffuser and the F-duct. Flexing wings and chassis are also illegal as are the dustbin lids for the wheels.

This year on the wheels the Red Bulls had quite a shallow centre on the external side of the fronts and Ferrari had 3 concentric hoops to improve the air flow. Not quite dustbin lids but I think performing pretty much the same function so I expect these to become more widespread. The biggest unknown is the Pirelli tyres after 14 years of Bridgestone.

Personally, I think that the cars in 2011 will generally comprise of a subtle evolution of this years cars as the reg's are not being drastically changed.

The ramblings of a spectator.

[ESPImperium]

Personally i can see teams trying to have more stalling devices. Many have said there will be fluidic devices next year above, but what about a F-Dufusser???

On the diffuser, i can see some sort of EDD with F-Duct incorperated being worked on.

Im also looking at the air box, i think teams could follow the MGP W01 idea with the fin-box.

As for front wings, they will be massive works of art, look at McLaren and Renaults this year.

I think the rear proximity wing will be scrapped in 2011 on saftey grounds, leaving teams to have F-Ducts back in 2012 as they a] cost less to develop and b] are already developed to a point where they are already safe, and more likley c] when they decide to make fluidic aero on the rear wing leagl again, but for 10 times a race, with KERS as a "push to pass" idea where the discharge is limited to 10 laps each race for each. Thus improving "the show".

[andrew]

Im also looking at the air box, i think teams could follow the MGP W01 idea with the fin-box.

I think I remember hearing earlier in the year that Merc have been told that their airbox design will not be allowed for 2011. Not sure of the reasoning and don't know it this is a definite. I think it was mentioned as a side note during the commentary during one of the races earlier in the year.

[lebesset]

personally I see 2011 as more of a retrenchment towards 2009 pre DD , and developments based on that

are F ducts really banned ? or just driver operated F ducts ; if that's the case someone could come up with a twist

blown diffusers have been around for a long time , a renault development I think , anyone notice how quick they were out of the slower corners last time out ? alonso and hamilton certainly did ; depending on how sensitive the car is on the pirelli tyres renault could come out with a variation on this

what about the fuel cells ? could there be some way of adjusting the distribution of the weight of the contents within the regulations?

[raymondu999]

Renaults have always been mechanically good even since the Trulli-Alonso days IMO. It was a monster in Monaco 2004, 2005. 2006 too I believe. I think they can use the exhaust diffusers to "energize" the single diffuser. It won't feed directly as this year though as I believe there is no loophole for openings to feed into. Hence the confusion of the throttle ignition overrun won't happen anymore.

And... to look at the poll, looks like Macca has some things coming (note: This is not a happy smile, it's a cheeky one)
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88372

When will Macca learn that it would probably be better to focus on a good fundamental design rather than to develop f-ducts,secondary brakes (remember when they had a pedal to brake the inside rear wheel when turning? To kill understeer.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Im also looking at the air box, i think teams could follow the MGP W01 idea with the fin-box.

I think I remember hearing earlier in the year that Merc have been told that their airbox design will not be allowed for 2011. Not sure of the reasoning and don't know it this is a definite. I think it was mentioned as a side note during the commentary during one of the races earlier in the year.

Yes the blade design will be outlawed from 2011 onwards. Its advantage is made slighlty redundant too by the moveable rear wing.

[Belatti]

How about: tungsten spheres or cylinders lined up in fluid filled tubes routed through the chassis, change the pressure on either side of the chain to make them travel along the length of the tube. You could have ballast piped anywhere you want. Or are the tungsten blocks they used spec'd already?

thats a nice idea that wont even require the fluid, just a couple of strings would do the job

In the regulations it states that ballast must be securely fixed, and requires tools to remove or put in.

Well, you could securely fix the filled cylinder to the chasis and require tools to remove it

[747heavy]

brings back memories of the TMD
Mercedes (AMG) used movable ballast (via hydraulics app. +/- 400 mm) in there DTM/ITC cars in the mid 90´s to compete with there RWD car against the AWD Alfa&Opel.

The ballast was moved active during accel&braking and between low&high speed corners
to change the weight distribution (balance) front to rear during the duration of a lap, using long/lat accel and speed data to define the position of the car on the track.

[Belatti]

Wow! I knew 90s DTM had a lot of stuff going on but didnt knew about movable ballast!

[marcush.]

I think we will see spectacular front suspension layout in 2011 by RedBull.
We will see Pullrod activation the damper elements will be situated on top of the Tea tray.
This will serve a double function:
It will move heavy components to a lower part of the car ,reducing cofG height and as a added feature Newey will be able to bend the tray area legally upwards under maximum load conditions so we will see the RBR7 running even lower than the RBR6..Am I serious ? who knows....
I seem to remember Newey was talking about new areas of development for next year on the mechanical side...and he will again be stealing a march...maybe not even pullrod ?

maybe it will not quite be as radical but I expect a different front suspension from RedBull as well as a even more pronounced use of bendy components

[marcush.]

In the regulations it states that ballast must be securely fixed, and requires tools to remove or put in.

oh thats a nice line of thought! =D>
As long as the ballast is not defined to be made of a single homogenius material you could put the ballast into tubes and move the ballast inside by hydraulics..clever.

[747heavy]

Yeap,
it where good&fun times back then, here some excerps of an interview with
Dario Franchitti, who at the time was one of AMG-Mercedes drivers:

“It was the complete opposite of spec racing. It was brilliant. It was “anything goes” in terms of technology. (Driving) the Mercedes was the first time I'd used a sequential ‘box,’ it had that beautiful V6 engine, ABS brakes…those cars were so special. (Tony) Kanaan drove them at one point and sometimes we’ll sit and talk about it, or some of the guys will ask me about the cars, and they can’t believe what they did.

“They had movable ballast, they had anti-roll bars that were electronically adjustable, not only corner to corner but through the corner so you would adjust them for braking, for turning, for running through the apex, for power down on exit. They had full active aerodynamics that moved the center of pressure forward for braking; the radiator inlets had shutters that opened and closed depending on the cooling needs. Those things had airbag steering wheels, man. I mean, come on. They had airbag steering wheels! Nobody had that then or now. You just played with everything to tune that car, man. We had all kinds of crazy things. We even tried a full ground effects DTM car once…those regulations allowed Gerhard and the AMG boys to come up with some crazy stuff!"

the first car (1994) had two tanks one behind the rear axle and one in front of the rear axle.
The driver could (during the later stages of an race)pump fuel from one tank into the other to change the general balance/handling.
Similar to what you do in large aircrafts.
Butthe system was too slow to account for dynamic events, such as braking etc.
The movable ballast was on a kind of sleight/rail system in the transmission tunnel. THe hydraulic made the operation quite fast, and a pre-programed computer map would control the position duing the lap.
The driver could use offsets and factors to change the mapping, similar to what they do now in F1 with there diff and throttle maps.

Another (more esoteric) option would be to mind about the use of mercury for such an application - just kidding