Ferrari F1 team under scrutiny for illegal underbody

yes, but one race and preseason testing make it far too early to judge who's better...

 

i think FIA now is full of ****. everything is a 'no' to them. Andreas...would u mind contesting for the next FIA president? then, we'll see real racing

 

I think he's just talking about the Ferrari chapter.

 

Bump

 

Ron's issue here is that the front splitter is mounted on a springed device that allows the splitter to move a bit when someone prangs a curb. This device was questioned last year and passed scrutiny.

Ron should open a vineyard with all his sour grapes.

 

This rules should be thrown out since it is arbitrary. It goes to much into the "intent" of the rule. The rules should be clear and specific. If a team has an advantage because of R&D good for them, the other teams will copy and get the technology for "free". If the FIA does not like it, they can make a new specific rule for the following year.

I bet if they applied enough pressure on a body part they could get it to flex and DQ a car. I can imagine them using it if a team was too far in the points lead early in the season.

 

Didn't he simply ask if his team could also do this?

 

Porsche street cars from the 964 onward have had the rising rear spoiler for years, and Alfa on the old 90 had a front spoiler that moved downward when a certain amount of air pressure was applied.

 

This kind of thinking is whats making F-1 less F-1 like!

Its not just about the best driver, but both Car & Driver.... if you take all the technology out of the sport, its no better than CART / IRL.. almost all of these current F-1 Drivers have only experienice in carts, and maybe F3, F3000 etc... but mostly just Carts...

at least Schumacher raced sports cars, and other formulae ( not much ) to prove that he is indeed a "driver".... I dont buy that todays drivers dont have the time to race in other forms of racing... they just dont want to... and I think they are the poorer for it.

Best driver ever??? Mario Andretti... he raced in it all, and won in it all! not many other drivers can say that... Moss, Clark, Stewart, Senna, have all wone in other forms of racing... Senna barely... todays drivers???? cant think of anyone winning in anything other than Carts, or smaller open wheel... feeding F-1...

 

i think what massa meant was actually running the car w/out the lastest mods on it ie aero mods, etc.

 

pretty odd.

but one thing tho. Nick mentioned today, that BMW aren't modifying it's floors. so i guess, FIA has taken a step back after all. Kimster also said that he's unconcerned about the F2007. he said that the car is perfectly legal.

 

good point. i wonder whats their whole point then. guess RD will be carrying his moody face around this weekend

 

It's not the whole floor. It's the method in which the front splitter is attached with a spring that allows it to absorb impact energy when it hits a curb.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/Ajacied/7.jpg

Ferrari, Honda, BMW and Renault have removed the spring from the splitter for this weekend's race.

 

Can someone say "movable aerodynamic device"??

 

We'll have to wait and see if it really was a cheat or if it was what they said it was.

I'd wager that it is what they said it was (spring to allow the device to soak up curb impact).

If Ferrari are still 1 second ahead of Mclaren during the next race, then we'll know.

 

Unless it's made from unobtainium, everything is flexible and therefore moves. That's why the FIA test for flexibility of aero devices.

The amount of crap that has been written on this subject is incredible - and this by people who have no clue what they're talking about, but just interested in reporting a good story.

People who suggest that the floor will move up at speed, when the function of a splitter and the underbody of an F1 car, in general, is to create downforce don't even understand the aero principles of an F1 car.

The people who suggest that the floor moves down and "stalls the flow" (although according to the design submission from McLaren and rejected by the FIA - using a preloaded spring - this could not happen) are ignoring a couple of facts:

- Creating an unsteady flow and level of downforce makes for an unstable car
- Splitter moving down would have to also bend the wooden regulation skid block down and would risk wearing this down resulting in possible DQ.

Maybe the device is just there to limit deflection of the splitter if going over a curb as everyone is saying - but then, that doesn't make a good story.
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Ron Dennis approved video:

http://mediacenter.gazzetta.it/MediaCenter/action/player?uuid=6cb83acc-e40d-11db-a9ea-0003ba99c667&idCanale=Motori&navName=2