Formula One teams have recently agreed on banning the double deck diffusers as of 2011. While it is now too late to make the change for 2010, it is believed that this is the best way to implement a further decrease on the downforce levels of current F1 cars.
The FIA and FOTA were looking to pick a fight for many reasons. As with most fights, each side says the other started it.ISLAMATRON wrote:The FIA tried to do that with the budget cap rules and FOTA overrode them with court battles and threats of a breakaway...
I hope so too, but with Luca still in the picture and Flav trying to get back in the "greater good" will always be in jeopardy.richard_leeds wrote:The FIA and FOTA were looking to pick a fight for many reasons. As with most fights, each side says the other started it.ISLAMATRON wrote:The FIA tried to do that with the budget cap rules and FOTA overrode them with court battles and threats of a breakaway...
Hopefully the change of personnel in the grid and the FIA will result in a more constructive and collaborative approach for the greater good of F1.
Newey seems to confirm that banning diffusors will mainly serve up a new aero config and will not help overtaking. 2011 could also see the return of KERS if Ferrari get it their way.Adrian Newey gave this year's Watkins Lecture
Red Bull designer and top F1 aerodynamicist Adrian Newey believes the proposed ban on double diffusers in 2011 won’t make it easier for F1 cars to overtake.
Speaking at the Watkins Lecture at Autosport International he said:
I don’t think [double diffusers] affected the overtaking. It gave us more downforce and made the cars about a second a lap quicker. That doesn’t change whether the car’s going to overtake or not, there’s no difference in the aerodynamic wake which is what affects the ability of the car behind to overtake.
Adrian Newey
He said F1 should not slip back into the practice of introducing piecemeal changes to the regulations as it had during the “narrow track” era of 1998-2008:
The regulations we had for 2009 were the subject of a lot of research by the Overtaking Working Group. It’s questionable whether they worked or not, but the process, I think, was correct.
What’s now happening is we’ve gone back to these piecemeal modifications – banning double diffusers or getting rid of barge boards. For me, it’s very frustrating that it’s not being thought out. [It needs] a clear goal and proper research.
So often in Formula 1, things are changed with very little research.
Adrian Newey
He echoed the view of Sam Michaels and Paddy Lowe that the role of circuit design needs to be looked at.
Newey has similar concerns about the ban on refuelling during races:
I think the ban on refuelling is another example of that where… maybe it will be good for the racing, but it was not thought out. Some people thought “we could save a £100,000 here by cutting the cost of flying the refuelling rigs around the world. But if that destroys the spectacle and the racing becomes more boring as a result of that and people start turning their televisions off, then that wasn’t £100,000 well saved.
Adrian Newey
I totally agree about KERS. It's use should be unlimited, based only on the technology. However the flat bottom is a very bad idea. We need stepped bottoms for safety reasons. The front wings need to be narrower, allowing the cars to be closer in traffic without damage.Raptor22 wrote:There are a few things that can be reintroduced to improve teh spectacle and the cars.
I loved Gordon Murray's fan car idea. it was ingenious and should serve as a platform for generating sufficient downforce whilst allowing following distances to remain close.
KERS needs more freedom. the rubbish 6.6secs per lap needs to disappear and use of it should be freed.
higher narrower wings are fine.
Diffusors are fine.
flat bottom cars but with a minimum ride height of 50mm to keep ground effect in check.
I think the fan-car idea is great, what you have to do though is to apply a "dustbag", just like in a vacuum-cleaner.wesley123 wrote:The Fan car wasnt good fro folowing, actually it is dangerous, it sucks air out with a much higher rate, what do you think that happens with all the sand and rocks etc.? it gets thrown out with much higher speeds than would happen with a regular diffuser.
So, you'd have, in the end, the racing version of this:xpensive wrote:I think the fan-car idea is great, what you have to do though is to apply a "dustbag", just like in a vacuum-cleaner.
