Ron Dennis complains, Charlie Whiting explains

Just because they don't flex under scrutineering(sp?) doesn't mean they don't flex at speed. The Toyota WRC turbos in the 90s were fine under inspection. We all know how that turned out.

For those not familiar with the flexi-floors read on here: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=30857

 

I do not understand Ron's complaint though. The floor boards passed the FIA tests if they flex then the rules need to be changed to make them pass "stiffer" tests. He is acting like a cry baby. He has great drivers and if the car is reliable he will most likely win his share of the races. I remember seeing Renault's side mirrors flexing last year. I wondered what the shedding vortices off of them were doing to the rear wing down the straightaways.

 

I've been following F1 for a while and I think maybe I might just be missing something. How does Dennis know to point something like the floor of the car out? I can understand last year's front wing, but how does he know about the floor of the Ferrari. It's not something that can be seen from anywhere like the front wing was. How does Dennis know it was the floor of the car that gave Ferrari the edge? Could it not just be that Kimi is that much better than Alonso? Seems like people are making an awful lot of excuses why the they can't be as fast as the Ferraris.

 

RD is still in denial over the chinning his old driver gave McLaren in Australia;Ron should have been this obsessed with giving KR and JPM fast and reliable race cars when he had them....

Ron should be be happy that Ferrari had tranny problems in Massa's car otherwise it would have been 2 F cars on the podium.

 

+1

 

RD = DENNIS THE MENACE

 

this is simply RD doing what he does...gamesmanship...putting the other teams on notice...trying to gain an upper hand by putting everyone under the microscope early...political games as clear as day. this can backfire on him if he's too much the 'boy who cried wolf' all the dang time...shoot, if he'd given Kimi a half ways reliable car when he was their hired gun, FA would have one less WDC that's for dang sure!!!

as far as flexi schmexi things are concerned...the FIA puts forth rules and regulations, the teams that win are the ones who best walk the tightrope as we all know. ie...if 5% flex is the cutoff, then teams will take it to 5.01%, etc...the team who best 'interprets' the regs---uses it to the max will benefit most a lot of the time...

 

I just find it hard to believe that of all the things to bring to light, Dennis decides to question the floor of the race car. Teams aren't allowed to inspect eachothers cars are they? That's the only possible way I can think of that he would have any thought to question the floor of the car. It just sounds stupid. "Their floor is illegal."

 

He's simply still mad about Ferrari getting all the McLaren gizmos (brake/steer, beryllium), Ferrari got banned a few years ago. Turnabout is fair play I guess, All the teams do that BS not just McLaren. It's a part of F1.

 

+1 perfect post Paul, the three P's.....

 

The only way IMO to know if something is illegal is when you know how to cheat yourself. So I guess the floor of the McLaren is just as flexible.

btw just read an article about RD and his headquarters in CAR magazine. The man clearly has a screw loose and is obsessed with a clinic approach to everything. Also has a fear for dust. Not the environment where a driver will blosom. I'm happy for Kimi now that he's switched to a more humane environment.

Best, Peter

 

according to autosport.com the FIA has altered it´s scrutinering in order to keep out moving floors.

 

I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable test on how to find out if a floor flexes or not. Not at all like the Toyo WRC sage in the 90s.

 

Thanks Tony.

Bottom line is that Ron couldn't provide KR and JPM with fast reliable cars.

Sad how McLaren with a wee bit more reliability would have taken the crown in '05 got totally waxed in '06.

BTW, the rule limiting revs to 19K IMHO help McLaren more than any other team. Did Ferrari, Renault, etc whine about that?

 

If Ron Dennis had the "moveable floor" and Ferrari didnt, I am sure Ferrari would have protested it to the FIA.

It is normal for F1 where a team tries to find a loophole and others get the loophole closed or they adopt it for themselves. Its just part of the game so to speak.

 

Ron will be designing his own flexible floor as we speak.

 

the article said McL had submitted such a design to the FIA and that's when they got slapped in the face, now they pointing the finger at others... but hey, whatever it takes to win...if ya can't catch ferrari, then ya gotta try to slow them down any way you can...