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Imhotep Evil · 06-20-2007, 07:07 AM

FIA may change aero rules
Wednesday 20th June 2007

The FIA is considering a radical plan to allow flexi wings in Formula One should teams reject its plans to push for a standard chassis.

The FIA is adamant that it wants more road-relevant, energy efficient engines, with talks currently being held to frame regulations from 2011 onwards.

The FIA is also keen on a wholesale overhaul of car regulations, with a standard chassis central to their vision of reducing costs and improving competition.

Meetings are set to take place after the British Grand Prix where the FIA hopes to discuss their plan and, should the teams be unhappy, come up with some alternate proposals.

"We believe that a standard chassis is the best solution," wrote Mosley in a letter to team bosses. "The competition would then be between drivers armed with rival, fuel-efficient drive trains but otherwise in equal cars. Painted differently and with different sponsors, the cars would look as different as they do today to anyone but an expert.

"But if the teams want to continue to make individual chassis, we need some proposals which really do meet the four agreed objectives of road-relevance, safety, cost reduction and improving the show. We also need to ensure the survival of the independent teams."

He admits that teams are highly unlikely to accept the proposal but insists that only a radical solution will benefit the sport, thus his proposal to allow flexi-wings, something that has been banned in F1 for many years.

"One example of radical change would be to permit moveable aerodynamic devices," added Mosley. "Arguably, the safety problems of 40 years ago no longer exist.

"Modern Formula One technology is sufficiently mature to eliminate the risks of both passive and active aero devices. Moreover, the FIA is already confronted with ever-more sophisticated moving bodywork. Engineers appreciate that when subjected to a force, everything moves - it is just a question of how much.

"Immense time and effort is currently going into making bodywork which moves enough to enhance performance, however slightly, but not enough to excite the interest of the regulator or rival teams. This is not satisfactory; it is wasteful, expensive, ultimately pointless and contrary to sporting fairness.

"With moveable aero devices, both active and passive, designers would have an incentive to build a car which the driver could adjust to optimise performance when following another car. This would facilitate wheel-to-wheel racing.

"There are also a number of areas where active aero could be road-relevant, for example cooling systems. But part of any discussion on moveable devices would have to be how to contain the resulting increase in performance.

"In the hope of starting a useful debate on a new approach to chassis design with variable aerodynamics, we are preparing a discussion paper similar to the one on engines.

"Among other things this will look at the implications of moveable devices and any changes to engine output, which might become necessary in order to contain speeds. This paper will be circulated as soon as it is ready.

"We think it might perhaps be useful to follow it up with a discussion in the second week of July (after the British Grand Prix), at which each team would be given an opportunity to present its ideas (ideally in writing beforehand) and answer questions on future Formula One regulations, either alone or jointly with other teams."

06-20-2007, 07:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
Imhotep Evil Devotee Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,889 Thanks: 248 Thanked 150 Times in 113 Posts	FIA may allow movable aerodynamics FIA may change aero rules Wednesday 20th June 2007 The FIA is considering a radical plan to allow flexi wings in Formula One should teams reject its plans to push for a standard chassis. The FIA is adamant that it wants more road-relevant, energy efficient engines, with talks currently being held to frame regulations from 2011 onwards. The FIA is also keen on a wholesale overhaul of car regulations, with a standard chassis central to their vision of reducing costs and improving competition. Meetings are set to take place after the British Grand Prix where the FIA hopes to discuss their plan and, should the teams be unhappy, come up with some alternate proposals. "We believe that a standard chassis is the best solution," wrote Mosley in a letter to team bosses. "The competition would then be between drivers armed with rival, fuel-efficient drive trains but otherwise in equal cars. Painted differently and with different sponsors, the cars would look as different as they do today to anyone but an expert. "But if the teams want to continue to make individual chassis, we need some proposals which really do meet the four agreed objectives of road-relevance, safety, cost reduction and improving the show. We also need to ensure the survival of the independent teams." He admits that teams are highly unlikely to accept the proposal but insists that only a radical solution will benefit the sport, thus his proposal to allow flexi-wings, something that has been banned in F1 for many years. "One example of radical change would be to permit moveable aerodynamic devices," added Mosley. "Arguably, the safety problems of 40 years ago no longer exist. "Modern Formula One technology is sufficiently mature to eliminate the risks of both passive and active aero devices. Moreover, the FIA is already confronted with ever-more sophisticated moving bodywork. Engineers appreciate that when subjected to a force, everything moves - it is just a question of how much. "Immense time and effort is currently going into making bodywork which moves enough to enhance performance, however slightly, but not enough to excite the interest of the regulator or rival teams. This is not satisfactory; it is wasteful, expensive, ultimately pointless and contrary to sporting fairness. "With moveable aero devices, both active and passive, designers would have an incentive to build a car which the driver could adjust to optimise performance when following another car. This would facilitate wheel-to-wheel racing. "There are also a number of areas where active aero could be road-relevant, for example cooling systems. But part of any discussion on moveable devices would have to be how to contain the resulting increase in performance. "In the hope of starting a useful debate on a new approach to chassis design with variable aerodynamics, we are preparing a discussion paper similar to the one on engines. "Among other things this will look at the implications of moveable devices and any changes to engine output, which might become necessary in order to contain speeds. This paper will be circulated as soon as it is ready. "We think it might perhaps be useful to follow it up with a discussion in the second week of July (after the British Grand Prix), at which each team would be given an opportunity to present its ideas (ideally in writing beforehand) and answer questions on future Formula One regulations, either alone or jointly with other teams."