FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[acosmichippo]

is this what makes Renault sound so awesome? I love the way their car sounds.

Apparently The effect is more pronounced on their car because their exhaust is forward.

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Wacko rules changes of this gravity once the season is well under way is exactly why the FOTA need to buy F1, burn the FIA to the ground and fire every man jack of 'em.

[billindenver]

Wacko rules changes of this gravity once the season is well under way is exactly why the FOTA need to buy F1, burn the FIA to the ground and fire every man jack of 'em.

Amen. They say they want to make the racing cheaper with less testing etc....but rule changes are expensive!

[myownalias]

I wonder if the FIA have a big wheel with sectors marked out with different rule changes, a la Wheel of Fortune... SPIN THE WHEEL!!!

It just seems to me that the FIA are trying to stifle innovation more than ever; engineers & teams won't bother to innovate if all their hard work gets pissed on constantly!

[FRAFPDD]

I find it hard to believe rednbulls success is pure innovation personally,

all theyve done is exploit a loophole, fair enough, but
not innovation.

[thechainrule]

The 100 year old rule,"If Ferrari and Mac can't do it" BAN IT they're trying to stop the runaway train that is RBR.

but wont this hurt Ferrari significantly as well?

[What's Burning?]

Ii hurts those teams that had the most efficient blown exhaust.

F1 blown diffusers from last year on eBay anyone? Although that cost recuperating, not cost saving.

[myownalias]

all theyve done is exploit a loophole, fair enough, but
not innovation.

You can argue that point with most "innovations" of recent times in F1; blown diffusers and blown floors have been used before in F1, it's far from a new technology, it's simply a rehash of technology in days gone by. RB would have a fan like the RB-X Proto in GT5 if it wasn't banned back in the 80s.

[madbrad]

I know they have changed rules mid season many times in the past, but I still say anytime they do that, it looks like manipulating the championship.
A simple sporting principle would dictate that teams enter the campaign based on the rules shown to them before the season starts, and any change made after the agreement to compete is made, it's like a breach of contract. it's, "Hey this is not what I signed up for! I designed this car base on what you promised and you have broken that promise and my competitiveness is unfairly compromised!" The fact that the change can be a boost to some teams doesn't change the basic contract model.

[darwin dali]

I know they have changed rules mid season many times in the past, but I still say anytime they do that, it looks like manipulating the championship.
A simple sporting principle would dictate that teams enter the campaign based on the rules shown to them before the season starts, and any change made after the agreement to compete is made, it's like a breach of contract. it's, "Hey this is not what I signed up for! I designed this car base on what you promised and you have broken that promise and my competitiveness is unfairly compromised!" The fact that the change can be a boost to some teams doesn't change the basic contract model.

Have to agree somewhat with this. This would also apply to changing the flexi-wing test parameters mid-season.

[billindenver]

I know they have changed rules mid season many times in the past, but I still say anytime they do that, it looks like manipulating the championship.
A simple sporting principle would dictate that teams enter the campaign based on the rules shown to them before the season starts, and any change made after the agreement to compete is made, it's like a breach of contract. it's, "Hey this is not what I signed up for! I designed this car base on what you promised and you have broken that promise and my competitiveness is unfairly compromised!" The fact that the change can be a boost to some teams doesn't change the basic contract model.

My thoughts precisely. The teams design a car and spend millions in design, fabrication and testing....and if the design works....it gets banned. So they spend millions redesigning. Meanwhile they can't test...because it's too expensive. The logic is seriously flawed.

What is the logic behind banning exhaust over run? It's not green? As if any racing is?

[Hammer278]

I propose we ban the FIA.

[darwin dali]

I propose we ban the FIA.

But not in mid-season or see above...

[spankyham]

Backtrack by the FiA

Teams get reprieve over blown diffusers

By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, May 17th 2011, 21:11 GMT

Formula 1 teams have been given a reprieve to continue using blown diffusers freely from this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, AUTOSPORT can reveal, after the FIA had a rethink about going ahead with a major change to the regulations.

As reported earlier, the FIA issued a clarification to teams following the Turkish Grand Prix that would have banned them from using clever engine mapping settings to keep gases pumping through the diffuser even when the driver was off-throttle.

Teams had been benefiting from keeping gases flowing through the diffuser at the same rate as when the driver was on throttle, even when he was fully on the brakes. This maximised the downforce benefits gained from the use of a blown diffuser.

However, a directive from the FIA clarified that teams were only allowed to use the throttle settings for increasing torque, not for 'aerodynamic performance' - which effectively banned them from keeping gases pushing through the diffuser off-throttle.

That edict meant teams faced work to tweak their engine settings for this weekend's race at the Circuit de Catalunya, and leading figures - including Red Bull Racing's Christian Horner and Mercedes GP's Ross Brawn - said they were unsure how the competitive order would be affected by the changes.

However, following dialogue between the FIA and the teams, AUTOSPORT can reveal that the governing body decided late on Tuesday not to go through with the change to the blown diffuser regulations for Barcelona.

A high level source indicated that the decision had been taken because a number of 'unforeseen and unintended consequences' of the ban had been brought to the FIA's attention.

It is not clear what these consequences were, but teams that had benefited the most from the blown diffuser regulations may have complained about potential difficulties that they may have faced in making necessary changes to car set-up in such a short space of time.

Although off-throttle usage of blown diffusers remains in place for now, AUTOSPORT understands that the matter has been put to the top of the agenda for the next meeting of F1 think tank, the Technical Working Group.

It is understood that the FIA is keen for the off-throttle usage to be stamped out as soon as it can be implemented without causing further complications for the teams.

[spankyham]

What I find astounding is the incredible inconsistency of the FiA.

We can all argue as to whether these things are innovations or loopholes - fair enough. But either way, the FiA must be consistent in it's dealings with issues, clearly to date, they are anything but.

As I've said before, Ferrari's flexible wing was banned during the season. It failed no tests. Ferrari's floor ditto. Renault's mass-damper ditto, McLaren's brake-steer and f-duct ditto. But, for some reason, Red Bulls flexing front and off-throttle exhaust are sacrosanct. The FiA come out and ban the off-throttle - Horner complains and the FiA immediately do a 180 degree about face.

It would be ironic in the extreme if these things magically get banned when the other teams have copied them and Red Bull no longer enjoys an advantage from them.