2005/2006 F1 News and Testing.

[Flibster]

Well it's over..we have a new world champion and a new constructors champion.

All the threads have been archived - been reading the Australian one again - makes interesting reading.

7600 posts of F1

Here they all are:

2005 Australian Grand Prix
2005 Malaysian Grand Prix
2005 Bahrain Grand Prix
2005 San Marino Grand Prix
2005 Spanish Grand Prix
2005 Monaco Grand Prix
2005 Eurpoean Grand Prix
2005 Canadian Grand Prix
2005 United States Grand Prix
2005 French Grand Prix
2005 British Grand Prix
2005 German Grand Prix
2005 Hungarian Grand Prix
2005 Turkish Grand Prix
2005 Italian Grand Prix
2005 Belgian Grand Prix
2005 Brazilian Grand Prix
2005 Japanese Grand Prix
2005 Chinese Grand Prix

So this thread is going to be all about the off season - Hopefully going to keep it going throughout the off season so it doesn't disapear.

Here's the currently known Team and driver linup for the 2006 season.

Current 2006 Team/Driver linup

[b]Entrant 			Constructor 		Driver 	[/b]
Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	Renault 		Alonso 
Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	Renault 		Fisichella 
McLaren Mercedes 		McLaren-Mercedes 	Raikkonen 
McLaren Mercedes 		McLaren-Mercedes 	Montoya 
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	Ferrari 		M Schumacher 
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	Ferrari 		Massa 
Panasonic Toyota Racing 	Toyota 			R Schumacher 
Panasonic Toyota Racing 	Toyota 			Trulli 
WilliamsF1 			WilliamsF1-Cosworth 	Webber 
WilliamsF1 			WilliamsF1-Cosworth 	Rosberg
Honda 				Honda 			Button
Honda 				Honda 			Barrichello 
Red Bull Racing 		Red Bull-Ferrari 	Coulthard 
Red Bull Racing 		Red Bull-Ferrari 	?????
BMW 				BMW 			Heidfeld 
BMW 				BMW 			?????
Midland F1 			Midland-Toyota 		Albers 
Midland F1 			Midland-Toyota 		?????
Squadra Toro Rosso 		Red Bull-Cosworth 	?????
Squadra Toro Rosso 		Red Bull-Cosworth 	?????

So to start with...the idiots...

 

[Flibster]

The Idiots...errr...FIA

THE CDG WING

The FIA consultation on the future of Formula One clearly demonstrated that the vast majority of the viewing public (94% according to the FIA/AMD survey) want more overtaking. This is at a time when overtaking in Formula One has become increasingly difficult.

Most aerodynamic research aims to improve a car’s performance when running in what is known as ‘clean’ air which has not been disturbed by the wake of a car running in front. However, in race conditions when cars follow each other closely, the wake of the car in front significantly reduces the aerodynamic performance of the following car, making overtaking extremely difficult and often impossible.

As a general rule, the better the aerodynamic performance of a car on its own, the worse its effect on the car behind and the greater the loss of performance for that car.

In order to encourage overtaking, the FIA initiated a programme of research into improving the aerodynamic performance of a car when trying to overtake. The objective was to produce regulations for a car shape which would create a wake in which a following car would generate more downforce with reduced drag.

With the help of the FIA’s technology partner AMD, the FIA’s research team have reached a preliminary conclusion which the FIA is now able to publish. The CDG Wing (Centreline Downwash Generating Wing) will be presented to the Formula One Commission meeting in London today (October 24).

It is intended that the CDG Wing, together with wider wheels and slick tyres, will form part of the 2008 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. With the support and collaboration of the teams it may be possible to introduce these changes as early as 2007.


Max Mosley, FIA President said,

“This new research is important for the future of Formula One. By introducing the CDG wing we can give motor sport fans exactly what they have asked for, wheel-to-wheel racing with much more overtaking.

”It is our hope that the teams will collaborate with us in the optimisation of this radical new idea so that the aerodynamic benefits can be introduced into Formula One in 2007 rather than having to wait until 2008.”


Henri Richard, AMD Executive Vice President said,

"It’s clear the FIA has listened to the feedback of its key constituents - F1 fans around the world - and has taken a bold, innovative approach to improving overtaking and therefore creating a more exciting race experience. AMD is committed to encouraging innovation and creativity and to helping the world's leading organizations take advantage of the phenomenal impact of our technology."

Images: Click for huge.

 

[el_dazza]

that looks ugly as hell. 'nuff said.

 

[Mad old tory]

LMAO, they paid someone to tell them to cut a big chunk out of the middle of the rear wing? Muppets the lot of em

 

[Firestar_3x]

I have no time for the FIA tbh, they are all muppets who need kicking out, i would be more than willing to stand up infront of them and simply suggest they take a look at the A1GP if they want to revive F1 then cash my cheque for 1 Million

 

[happytechie]

I suspect AMD paid them the money rather than the other way round. I was looking at this earlier today, as far as I can tell all it will do is allow the trains of cars who can't overtake each other to be closer to each other than before... This should help in that at least now when someone messes a corner up there is someone right up thier exausts to punish them.

I think I read on the FIA site that slicks were back as well.

Although having watched the A1 GP at the weekend I think F1s days may be numbered in it's current form.

HT

 

[TheDome]

so amend the wing to give the guy behind a chance...............hmmmmmmm

 

[Pigeon]

so amend the wing to give the guy behind a chance...............hmmmmmmm

what Micheal Schumacher?

That wing is ugly! Strange how we didn't have problems with overtaking in the days of Senna/Prost/Mansell etc yet they all had the big wings and slicks?

 

[Dutch Guy]

Although having watched the A1 GP at the weekend I think F1s days may be numbered in it's current form.

I got the same feeling, I actually enjoyed that race more than a lot of F1 races.

And that new spoiler(s) look ugly

 

[SoliD]

who cares if its ugly or not, if it brings some action to f1, then thats a start, cant believe the seasons over already. seems like only yesterday australia happened. heres to another relatively competitive season next year.

 

[JonnyT]

The reason A1GP has so much more overtaking than F1 - aside from the fact that the racing is always going to be closer as it is a single car series - is that the cars use 3 technologies which USED to be used to great effect in F1; namely:

Wide slick tyres
'Relatively' uncomplicated front & rear wings
Ground Effect for downforce

Now the two clinchers for me are the slick tyres, which would immediately increase mechanical (as opposed to aerodynamic) downforce, and ground effect, whereby the car is not 99% dependent on the front & rear wings to hold it on the road - & if i remember rightly ground effect is largely unaffected by the turbulent airflow from following another car closely.

Another thing has just struck me - from watchnig F1 for many years, I have to wonder whatever happened to the magical 'tow' that Murray Walker used to go on about - the hole in the air' that cars got when following another one closely & the increase in speed from a lack of wind resistence over the wings & chassis. Maybe it is time to introduce a standardised rear diffuser so that the turbulent airflow of following another car is a known quantity to all teams & perhaps even an artificial drag-inducing device such as a Gurney Flap...

 

[Matt]

Can't we just bin the wings?

 

[PikeyPriest]

^^ LOL

Would definitely make 100+ mph corners exciting

 

[Vertigo]

Can't we just bin the wings?

Definitely the best way forward, and Ross Braun has been saying the same thing.

Basically just ban all downforce. The only downside is the cars will look a bit odd.

 

[mctiny]

Bring back the good old days.

big sticky tires, maybe the big wings as well, wheel bashing racing and some sensible Qualifing seessions.

Qualifing should be back to the old format of two 2 hour sessions, agregate times and 12 laps. maybe running the laps in 3 lap stints ( out lap-fast lap-in lap) once in a 15 minutes session and have four sessions per hour. I.e. 0minutes -15minutes, 15-30, 30-45, 45-60.

 

[Arc]

It is intended that the CDG Wing, together with wider wheels and slick tyres, will form part of the 2008 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. With the support and collaboration of the teams it may be possible to introduce these changes as early as 2007.

Well, wider wheels and slick tyres are back to the old days, much more grip round corners and should slow them slightly in a straight line (the current tyres have increased top speed slightly, something they were supposed to lower). The wing, well it doesnt look good but then they may just reduce the size of the current rear wing elements for a simpler solution.

Ground effect could be a bad idea though, eg, dangerous corner speeds.

 

[Vertigo]

Single lap qualifying gone!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4364642.stm

Qualifying will now take part in three phases, with five cars dropping out after a first 15-minute session and another five following a second stint.

The remaining 10 cars will then compete for pole position in a 20-minute finale designed to maximise TV excitement.

Definitely a step in the right direction IMO

 

[LizardKing]

Definitely the best way forward, and Ross Braun has been saying the same thing.

Basically just ban all downforce. The only downside is the cars will look a bit odd.

http://home.wanadoo.nl/crab/Lotus 15.jpg

Does'nt look that odd
They should get rid of the gear paddles bring back the clutch, make it so there is actually some skill in driving these cars fast.
But people have said all this and more for a long time and FIA have never listened.

 

[Flibster]

Oh dear - looks like tyre changes are back and refuelling is staying...

So - the no tyre changing in F1 ever - lasted 1 season...

How is that a cost reducing thing Max? Forcing them to redevelop the tyres from scratch each year? Nicely done...

Simon/~Flibster

 

[Duke]

Rofl that split wing looks a joke.. I hope they come up with a better solution