Comments on: F1 2009 Technology: Rear wings, diffusers – and the inevitable controversy

By: goofy

goofy — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:36:21 +0000

maybe ferrari will use this

http://www.nextautos.com/spy-shots-ferrari-f450-spied?gid=13459&nid=35789#gallery-13459

By: Dave Pastern

Dave Pastern — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:33:10 +0000

Polak – what do you say to the engineers and teams who stuck to the letter over the diffuser designs and didn’t go outside the original intended scope of design? “tough you know what, you didn’t cheat enough to get an advantage”? mmm?

This is *why* rules should be *very* specific, so that things like this, interpretational things, cannot happen. Christ, you don’t design bridges and other critical mechanically engineered devices on half guesses, and non specifics, do you?

Those that have contravened the spirit of the rules should lose all points gained whilst using the illegal devices, banned for a period of time, and fined.

I find FISA and FIA more and more of a joke these days, with ideas simply poorly implemented adaptions of Indycars ideas (which suck anyways). Racing is boring these days.

If FIA/FISA/FOCA want *real* competition, introduce laws that all teams must use the same chassis, same engine, same breaks, same gearbox. Then the best drive will win. That’s what it *should* be about. It’s called the “drivers championship” for a reason. Without the drivers, the cars are useless, and so is the manufacturer’s championship. So, Ferrari didn’t like this idea and threatened to quit F1? Tough you know what. I say to Ferrari, good riddance, don’t let the door swing and hit you on the you know what on the way out.

Dave

By: Tony G

Tony G — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:09:17 +0000

Sounds to me like the others are thinking oh why didn’t WE think of that? Don’t forget, Brawn GP has been working on this for years, so I would think that Ross (good on ya mate!) would have had this thought out a LONG time ago. Sounds like jealousy to me. I notice McClaren aren’t in the arguement….
Still, I hope this season will be a classic on the track.

By: Sinsua

Sinsua — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 04:26:11 +0000

An important difference to the design change of raising the rear wing is to seperate it from any other aerodynamic devices, primary seperation is diffuser. Adding that bodywork to work with the diffuser can easily be banned for this very fact as they can be accused of running wing elements to boost the diffuser. Winglets are banned as well it is just that the FIA is just so incopetent, this one is so easy.

By: Graeme

Graeme — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:33:02 +0000

I think the main protest is coming from Red Bull.

Most other teams will quickly adopt the new diffuser if it is confirmed as a legal part.

Red Bulls pull rod suspension means it is impossible for them to change their diffuser to match the brawn design. This means Red Bull competitive season is over before it’s begun as they will need to start again with a new car design to match the speed of the others.

There is no way Red Bull are going to drop this.

Expect a legal battle to overshadow most of the season.

By: Polak

Polak — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:06:57 +0000

I don’t see why everybody is jumping down FIA’s throat on this one. They have had the regulations for this season set for quite some time. When the “special” diffusers were questioned the FIA inspected them and concluded they are within the regulations. As far as the FIA is concerned they settled the matter. Now some teams are still protesting and threatening to submit an official appeal. Its within their rights and FIA will need to decide on it again. More then likely they will stick to the original decision unless the appeal brings some good facts with it.

It would have been unfair if the FIA immediately closed the loopholes and deemed the diffusers illegal. What do you say to the engineers that slaved over them and the money invested?

By: Toby Bushby

Toby Bushby — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:16:01 +0000

If we didn’t laugh, we’d cry, eh?

By: SYM

SYM — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:58:55 +0000

What a clever lot F1 fans are, reading all the comments and witty cinematic references reminds why i love this sport. Taking a marginally detached view of the whole diffuser saga, the thought that comes into my mind is, the Brawn effect. Ross Brawn is a master technical strategist who never misses a trick, i think most of us remember Schumacher Snr winning a race while parked in the pit lane. The man is a genius.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:12:12 +0000

I don’t I think it’s a disgrace that, when the 2009 rules were first published so long ago, the FIA still can’t decide what’s legal and what isn’t.

Inevitably there’s the suggestion that the FIA do this deliberately to keep the sport in the headlines. But I think F1 loses more than it gains for looking like it is run by people who don’t know what they’re doing.

By: Martin Bell

Martin Bell — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:27:51 +0000

Does anyone actually enjoy these legal wranglings, or look forward to race results being decided in court? M&B have a very twisted idea of what constitutes “the show”. I’ve been obsessed with F1 since 1976, and teams pushing the envelope has always been a part of it. In all that time, the FIA response to “design” issues has got consistently more amateurish, shambolic and biased. It’s all very, very boring. My heart is sinking at the prospect of yet more nonsense.