2014 Formula One Season ***possible spoilers***

lol...can't see it....can't hear it.

Did you and Rach have a good time? We enjoyed the whole thing a lot.

 

Nope.

A Vic Karen.

 

Yep...he's out


Daniel Ricciardo has been stripped of his second place finish at the Australian Grand Prix after his car was considered to be in breach of fuel flow regulations.

According to the FIA sensor fitted to the car, the Red Bull exceeded the maximum allowed fuel flow of 100kg per hour, and after over five hours of deliberations the stewards ruled the car was run illegally. They stated the car was not only in breach of the fuel flow regulation (Article 5.1.4 of the technical regulations) but also Article 3.2 of the sporting regulations, which requires team to ensure compliance with the technical regulations throughout the event.

Red Bull made clear that it intends to appeal the decision.

The debate over the legality of the car centres on the FIA fuel flow sensor fitted within. After differences between the sensor's readings and the team's readings during Friday practice, Red Bull fitted a new sensor on Saturday, which failed during qualifying. For the race the FIA technical representative instructed the team to revert to the original sensor from Friday and apply an offset to make up for the discrepancies in the readings.

Red Bull considered the original fuel flow sensor to be unreliable and for the start of the race chose to use its "internal fuel flow model ... with the required offset" instead. However, a technical directive issued on March 1 states that only the FIA, and not individual teams, can decide if an alternative fuel flow measure can be used.

Read more at Daniel Ricciardo excluded from Australian Grand Prix | Australian Grand Prix | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

See points 7 and 9 for the crux of the situation. Foul play at Red Bull.



Following Daniel Ricciardo’s exclusion from second place in the Australian Grand Prix the FIA stewards issued the following explanation for their decision:

1) The Technical Delegate reported to the Stewards that Car 3 exceeded the required fuel mass flow of 100kg/h. (Article 5.1.4 of the Formula One Technical Regulations)

2) This parameter is outside of the control of the driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

3) The fuel flow is measured using the fuel flow sensor (Art. 5.10.3 & 5.10.4 of the Technical Regulations) which is homologated by the FIA and owned and operated by the team.

4) The stewards considered the history of the fitted fuel flow sensor, as described by the team and the Technical Delegate’s representative who administers the program. Their description of the history of the sensor matches.

a. During Practice 1 a difference in reading between the first three and Run 4 was detected. The same readings as Run 4 were observed throughout Practice 2.

b. The team used a different sensor on Saturday but did not get readings that were satisfactory to them or the FIA, so they were instructed to change the sensor within Parc Ferme on Saturday night.

c. They operated the original sensor during the race, which provided the same readings as Run 4 of Practice 1, and Practice 2.

5) The Stewards heard from the technical representative that when the sensor was installed on Saturday night, he instructed the team to apply an offset to their fuel flow such that the fuel flow would have been legal. He presented an email to the stewards that verified his instruction.

6) The technical representative stated to the Stewards that there is variation in the sensors. However, the sensors fall within a known range, and are individually calibrated. They then become the standard which the teams must use for their fuel flow.

7) The team stated that based on the difference observed between the two readings in P1, they considered the fuel flow sensor to be unreliable. Therefore, for the start of the race they chose to use their internal fuel flow model, rather than the values provided by the sensor, with the required offset.

8) Technical Directive 016*14 (1 March 2014) provides the methodology by which the sensor will be used, and, should the sensor fail, the method by which the alternate model could be used.

a. The Technical Directive starts by stating: “The homologated fuel flow sensor will be the primary measurement of the fuel flow and will be used to check compliance with Articles 5.1.4 and 5.1.5 of the F1 Technical Regulations…” This is in conformity with Articles 5.10.3 and 5.10.4 of the Technical Regulations.

b. The Technical Directive goes on to state: “If at any time WE consider that the sensor has an issue which has not been detected by the system WE will communicate this to the team concerned and switch to a backup system” (emphasis added.)

c. The backup system is the calculated fuel flow model with a correction factor decided by the FIA.

9) The FIA technical representative observed thought the telemetry during the race that the fuel flow was too high and contacted the team, giving them the opportunity to follow his previous instruction, and reduce the fuel flow such that it was within the limit, as measured by the homologated sensor – and thus gave the team the opportunity to be within compliance. The team chose not to make this correction.

10) Under Art. 3.2 of the Sporting Regulations it is the duty of the team to ensure compliance with the Technical Regulations throughout the Event. Thus the Stewards find that:

A) The team chose to run the car using their fuel flow model, without direction from the FIA. This is a violation of the procedure within TD/ 016*14.

B) That although the sensor showed a difference in readings between runs in P1, it remains the homologated and required sensor against which the team is obliged to measure their fuel flow, unless given permission by the FIA to do otherwise.

C) The Stewards were satisfied by the explanation of the technical representative that by making an adjustment as instructed, the team could have run within the allowable fuel flow.

D) That regardless of the team’s assertion that the sensor was fault, it is not within their discretion to run a different fuel flow measurement method without the permission of the FIA.

 

Following Daniel Ricciardo's exclusion from the Australian Grand Prix for exceeding the maximum fuel flow rate during the race, Red Bull has slammed the FIA's fuel sensors for providing inaccurate readings.

Five hours after crossing the line in second place, Ricciardo was disqualified from the race by the stewards of the meeting for exceeding the fuel flow rate of 100kg per hour. Red Bull is set to appeal the decision on the grounds that it ran within the fuel flow rate according to its own measurements, but that the FIA sensor was providing incorrect readings.

There were discrepancies between the readings of the team and the sensor during Friday practice and the FIA gave the team an offset to work to, but Horner believes that running to that offset would have made the car uncompetitive.

"As we got into the race we could see a significant discrepancy between what the sensor was reading and our fuel flow, which is the actual injection of fuel into the engine, was stating. That is where there is a difference of opinion."

Asked about the FIA's warning that the car was exceeding the fuel flow rate, Horner said: "They informed us [during the race], but we informed them we had serious concerns over their sensor. We believed in our readings, otherwise we faced a situation where we would have been reducing significant amounts of power into the engine when we believed we fully complied with the regulations.

"It is immature technology, so it's impossible to rely 100% on that sensor which has proven to be problematic in almost every session we have run in. So it's surprising this stance has been taken."

Horner is confident his team's appeal will be successful.

"These fuel-flow sensors that have been fitted by the FIA have proved problematic throughout the pit lane since the start of testing. There have been discrepancies in them, even unreliable, and I think some cars may well have run without them during the race itself, or even failed during the race itself. We had a fuel flow sensor fitted to the car that we believe to be in error.

"We wouldn't be appealing if we weren't extremely confident we have a defendable case. It's just extremely disappointing this has happened. It's certainly no fault of Daniel's. I don't believe it's the fault of the team. I believe we have been compliant with the rules and the documents and investigation that will be submitted within the appeal will demonstrate that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Read more at Red Bull slams accuracy of FIA fuel flow sensors | Formula 1 | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

Fernando Alonso was not happy with Ferrari's level of performance at the Australian Grand Prix, but said there are still positives to be drawn from the weekend.

Alonso qualified and finished fifth - upgraded to fourth after Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification - but the whole field was outclassed by Mercedes all weekend. The Ferrari also struggled to match the pace of the McLaren and Red Bull, and Alonso said his car requires a lot of work to match its rivals.

"We are not happy with the performance that we showed today. We need to improve," he said. "I was not able to challenge McLaren for the podium positions and Kimi [Raikkonen] was running between the two Toro Rossos and he won the race here 12 months ago. But on the other side, it is just the first race of the championship and we cannot become crazy about the world we saw today.

"We know we need to work and we are ready to do so and to arrive in two weeks' time in better shape in Malaysia. That's what we need to do. On the other hand, it was very positive news that both Ferraris finished the race with more or less no problems. The start was very good, at the pit stops we overtook Hulkenberg, so there are some positive and negative things and we will try to improve the negative."

Ferrari struggled to match the straight-line speed of the Mercedes-powered car, and Alonso said his team was starting to understand where it was losing out.

"It's just the first race of the championship, so no-one can say who will win the championship after just the first race or who will lose it. We need to be calm and just need to do better next time. Now that we face competition wheel-to-wheel we can start to understand what are the areas to improve and the areas that we seem strong.

"Mercedes looked very strong in winter testing and they were very strong this weekend and won the race because they deserved to. At the moment they are a little bit ahead of everybody and we need to improve and try to reduce that gap between them and us to minimum at the end of each race, and hopefully finish in front of them and finish the race. Mercedes is very strong but we have ten more points than Hamilton today with a very strong car."

Read more at Ferrari 'not happy' with performance - Fernando Alonso | Australian Grand Prix | Formula 1 news, live F1 | ESPN F1

 

It's not her car...she was a passenger.

Women don't own Ferraris!

 

Poor Daniel (I'll bet he's still happy though)
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