Trick suspension by Merc and Red Bull

So you may have read about Ferrari raising this with Charlie Whiting and its up to Red Bull and Merc to decide whether to keep running their systems (which were perfectly legal last year) or not. Link - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127615/ferrari-letter-prompts-f1-suspension-row

I had a rough idea of how the previous FRIC system worked (until banned) but not heard much about its replacement until now.

Have a read below at how Red Bull used this - fantastic idea and engineering.

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/has-ferrari-just-handed-mercedes-2017-f1-title

How the system was used on each car was very different. Mercedes used it to maintain the car’s balance through a wide speed range of corners, by manipulating the car’s aerodynamic platform. Red Bull manipulated its platform rather differently – using it to enhance the effectiveness of its high static rake philosophy, by allowing the rear to sink back down once past a certain (pre-set) load threshold and thereby stalling the rear wing to boost straightline speeds.

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Just allow fully active suspension and be done with. After all it's a trickle down technology and people like to talk about F1 and it's road car legacy. Secondly, it will add more mechanical grip which is what most prefer over aero.

Saying nothing

No wonder Mercedes and red bull were so strong.

Its things like this which is why RedBull and Mercedes will always beat Ferrari no matter what the regulations. They're not afraid to try radical solutions and never play it safe. Even if it was banned and severely affects what RB/Merc come out with in 2017 they'll soon think of something else and be ahead again.

We've had off-throttle EBDs, FRIC and now this and each time Ferrari still get beaten anyway.

I imagine in the short-term it would hurt RB more though, as it allows them to run their extreme rake as per their aero philosophy. With Merc their aero relies on a stability, so their car would be fundamentally the same but with a more difficult / narrower setup window.

I've also heard it argued that this too has hindered McLaren since their fine - that they've become too cautious and risk-adverse.

Red Bull are still the best bet for giving Mercedes a run for their money this year, regardless of whether this new suspension gets banned. I don't believe Ferrari wil be a factor at all.

At least I'm praying RB step up because, if they don't, Hamilton is going to end up winning every race and we'll have the most boring season ever, especially as the new regulations are going to make following and overtaking other cars even harder.

Video by Scarbs explaining this - https://drivetribe.com/p/f-S9gOlGRvq7BzdXB2w_bw/Uf8x_hc8RB6stNk7GfziRQ

If it gets ruled illegal I think it just cements Merc as WCC. No one, regardless of aero is going to beat their engine on raw performance. This tech just helps the likes of RB catch up.

Have to laugh at Ferrari only now asking the question. Clueless.

EVH said:

Have to laugh at Ferrari only now asking the question. Clueless.

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Potentially disrupting their 2017 preparations without the negative publicity that could arise from it. Joe Public won't even know anything about it. Seems like perfect timing to me.

Interesting. Let's see what happens. Ferrari timed the question to cause disruption. Typical Ferrari. If you can't beat them...question the legality of something they do better than you rather than develop a rival system. Understandable totally, but very Ferrari-ish.

this_is_gav said:

Potentially disrupting their 2017 preparations without the negative publicity that could arise from it. Joe Public won't even know anything about it. Seems like perfect timing to me.

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I get that.. my comment was more clueless that they let RB and Merc run the trick parts for almost an entire season before considering it/asking about it themselves.

Kermit said:

I disagree and suspect we'll find Renault and even Honda will have narrowed the gap over the winter substantially now that the development rules are relaxed as there's a fundamental law of diminishing returns on any given engine/power unit set of regulations. Merc got a head start on the others and got there's perhaps 90% efficient compared to perhaps 80% for Renault and 75% for Honda. Merc may even have partly lucked into a good PU basic layout from the start of the new engine formula. Renault and Honda have had their hands tied for a few years so catching up was difficult but now with the token system ditched, catching up they will do. Merc may gain 0.5% further finements here and there but those behind assuming they have the budget and technical know how (which I'm sure have) will be gaining in increments of 1-2% and perhaps a lot more for an major engine/PU redesignsfor every 0.5% Merc can find.

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Mercedes' real lead is in the integration and software of the engine. As we saw in 2016, Ferrari aren't all that far from Mercedes in all-out power, but Brackley have a fuel-efficient engine and the ability to select a special mode in Q2 and Q3 which ensures they start at the front and can control the race.

Ferrari attempted something similar early on in the 2016 season, but kept blowing engines with it. Time will tell whether they can perfect it, but regardless of the physical structure of the engine, Merc are well ahead in software and fuel/lubricants.

Merc will step-up again (the token system will potentially have hindered their paths to improve too remember) and stay ahead engine-wise in 2017 I've no doubt. If I remember correctly, the biggest 'weakness' (such as it is) is the size of their turbo (Renault's is bigger for example), so with the tokens gone this may be where they make an improvement.

There's no 'luck' involved either. Merc and RBR are the forces they have been in the last 7 years due to investment (lots), finding the right people and placing them in the right places in an environment where they perform best. Time will tell, but I don't think Ferrari or McLaren are there yet, trick suspension being declared illegal or not.