Lets hope Ferrari have a mod ready in case this is legal!!! ****** Questions raised about McLaren's rear wing Thursday 4th March 2010 - PlanetF1.com McLaren could be dealt a hefty blow ahead of the season-opening race in Bahrain with the news that Ferrari and Red Bull have asked the FIA to investigate the legality of the team's rear wing. Rival teams are believed to be upset about a nostril above the driver's helmet that diverts air flow away from the rear wing in order to reduce drag, an innovation that reportedly gives the team an advantage of 6mp/h in straight-line speed. "There's a bit of a fuss over McLaren's rear wing. They have a slot on it [that affects the air flow] and they can pick up a lot of straight-line speed," exlpained Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. "I think it will get resolved before the first race. We've asked the FIA for clarification although I think Ferrari are probably more excited than we are to be honest. "Basically, if you stall the wing you take all the drag off it and pick up straight-line speed. It's something that's been done quite a lot over the years but with the wing separators you're not supposed to do that. "Our question ultimately will be: 'Is it clever design or is it in breach of the regulations'? They must be very confident that it's legal. I would think it will be legal," he added. With no further testing allowed until the opening race of the season on March 14, any ruling against the Woking-based team could severely threaten the prospects of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. The situation brings to mind the saga that developed last year around Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota's 'double-decker' rear diffusers, which sparked a controversy that largely overshadowed the beginning of the season.
A spokesman for the Woking-based team said: "we've spoken to Ferrari this morning and they're not aware of any protest either."
This has been discussed on f1technical since the car's launch. McLaren is injecting air through the shark fin/engine cover to the rear wing to stall it at high speeds. How exactly is unclear, ie. drive activated, completely passive, etc. If you look carefully at the rear wing, you'll see a very small slit above the main one where the air exits.
It would have to be passive to meet the regs, correct? It certainly is possible to accomplish aerodynamically. I think it's a brilliant piece of engineering.
If the FIA have a problem with it then it will be sorted, I would have thought Mclaren already had been given the ok. F1 is about pushing the fringes of the rules in the tech department or so I thought. Sounds like Ferrari and Redbull got beaten to it, no doubt if they carry on complaining it will be looked at again, meanwhile redesigning there own similar version.
That is not really a cover instead it is part of the wheel design making it legal under the rules. As for the McLarens the item is not on the upper wing but down by the diffuser using exhaust air and bleed air from the intake to create the stall. http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/2010/0/720.html
it sure is legal since no one complained. to me it's still a cover (and it's ugly) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Read Christian Horner's statement: "There's a bit of a fuss over McLaren's rear wing," Horner said during a lunch with British newspaper journalists. "They have a slot on it and they can pick up a lot of straight-line speed." Based on discussion at f1technical over the last few months, it's the wing itself.
Undoubtedly. I wonder what they have promised Horner for joining ranks. I think that Ferrari has correctly concluded that they will only win WC's in court. I think I'm giving up on them.
So far the only evidence of anyone complaining about it is Red Bull and it is they who are linking Ferrari in on their complaint. As already mentioned: And as noted hear: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81836 And I quote: "Ferrari sources have confirmed to AUTOSPORT that the team has no intention of taking the matter further, and have ruled out the possibility of it lodging a protest." Feel free to give up on Ferrari and criticise them if that's how you truly feel, but at least do it based on something they've actually done, rather than something that someone else claims they're going to do!.
