Austrian Grand Prix 2015, Spielberg - Race 8/19

Soldato
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Anyone been watching the post race testing? Anyone see the Williams wing let coming from the floor? Scarbs thinks its legal and JA thinks its not. Thoughts? I can't see why it wouldn't be legal given that the floor has to fill a certain area, so its up to the team if they want to make a full on rear or not and go down the coke bottle tight as bum. The wing let isn't coming from the body work so I guess that's their angle...

I think it's just Williams a quick test of higher levels of downforce to see how much their relatively small development team need to focus there.
 
Caporegime
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I don't understand why Williams tested parts that are illegal?

Its not like its a simple stick on bit either, they look like quite intricate little winglets that they have built in carbon fibre.
 
Soldato
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I don't understand why Williams tested parts that are illegal?

To test on track which direction to head in - whether more downforce at the expense of straight-line speed would ultimately lead to more performance for them.

It's the sort of thing they'd usually use CFD for, and then the windtunnel to verify, but with windtunnel time severely restricted now, they botched a couple of winglets on instead.

Or perhaps they were checking downforce levels for suspension geometry for a future upgrade. Maybe only one on one side to compare the different loads at any given time.

Remember it's not something that they can test at all in a race-weekend - these free moments are few and far between. There would have been a fair bit of this sort of thing going on among the various teams, be it engine configuration changes, gearbox ratios, software or who knows what else that they can't test during an official session.
 
Caporegime
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The cars actually only need to be legal for Qualifying and the Race. You can do what you want in FP1, 2 and 3 (providing you've passed crash tests). It's why you see teams grumbling that things are illegal when they appear on Fridays, but they can't officially protest it until after Qualifying.

Actually, I may be slightly out, as Parc Ferme now covers FP3, so you may now need to be legal for that session too. Either way, Fridays are no different to preseason or in season test days.
 
Soldato
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The cars actually only need to be legal for Qualifying and the Race. You can do what you want in FP1, 2 and 3 (providing you've passed crash tests).

I believe that changed a couple of years back. Scrutineering takes place the day before FP1 and cars have to be race legal, which is why you don't see those large sensors on the in free practice any more.
 
Soldato
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I don't understand why Williams tested parts that are illegal?

Its not like its a simple stick on bit either, they look like quite intricate little winglets that they have built in carbon fibre.

Maybe they are hiding something amazing. Keep us looking at that while they test something else.. :cool::p
 
Caporegime
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I believe that changed a couple of years back. Scrutineering takes place the day before FP1 and cars have to be race legal, which is why you don't see those large sensors on the in free practice any more.

Thats a good point, I think your right. It was following BMW rocking up to Canada with a pair of ironing boards sticking up from the nose wasn't it :p.

You still can't protest a car until its used in a competitive session though, which is from the start of Q1.
 
Caporegime
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F1 just has momentum. People moan (me included) but still watch. (I wouldn't pay for it though).
Almost every other formula is more entertaining. But they don't have the coverage or promotion. I couldn't go into a pub and talk to many/any people about others. the btcc (my favourite)

More and more money, more and more broken! That's f1

Only wwatched highlights of this. Probably the thing to do from now I think.
Maldanado did well, entertaining too. I'm warming to him.
Kimi is poor, time to go, don't really like the attitude myself
F1 needs entertainment, drs is a sham, but without it would be worse spectacle

The penalties on engines are just going to cripple Renault power teams. And obviously Honda are done
It does make a mockery of the rules that McLaren are going to have the penalties over and over with Renault power for company.
You'll now have effectively a Ferrari + merc grid.
I don't hate the engine tech, it's needed. It's the aero that needs sorting
On engines.. How do you balance things without favouring Honda And cut costs?

Is almost like f1s rules are so excessive + cost restricted they are damned if they do our don't!
You have to open engines to all and hope Honda catch up
1.they probably won't
2 added cost
3 back tracking on rule

But what else can you do? Allow/force a1 gp rules in so everyone can buy merc? You lose part of what f1 is
The aero is easier to fix as it's less transparent to audience
Or you could penalise with balast. False again

The artificial rules make btcc entertaining. I think I'd chose entertainment but it would never work I don't think
 
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V F

V F

Soldato
Joined
13 Aug 2003
Posts
21,184
Location
UK
F1 just has momentum. People moan (me included) but still watch. (I wouldn't pay for it though).
Almost every other formula is more entertaining. But they don't have the coverage or promotion. I couldn't go into a pub and talk to many/any people about others. the btcc (my favourite)

More and more money, more and more broken! That's f1

Only wwatched highlights of this. Probably the thing to do from now I think.
Maldanado did well, entertaining too. I'm warming to him.
Kimi is poor, time to go, don't really like the attitude myself
F1 needs entertainment, drs is a sham, but without it would be worse spectacle

The penalties on engines are just going to cripple Renault power teams. And obviously Honda are done
It does make a mockery of the rules that McLaren are going to have the penalties over and over with Renault power for company.
You'll now have effectively a Ferrari + merc grid.
I don't hate the engine tech, it's needed. It's the aero that needs sorting
On engines.. How do you balance things without favouring Honda And cut costs?

Is almost like f1s rules are so excessive + cost restricted they are damned if they do our don't!
You have to open engines to all and hope Honda catch up
1.they probably won't
2 added cost
3 back tracking on rule

But what else can you do? Allow/force a1 gp rules in so everyone can buy merc? You lose part of what f1 is
The aero is easier to fix as it's less transparent to audience
Or you could penalise with balast. False again

The artificial rules make btcc entertaining. I think I'd chose entertainment but it would never work I don't think

That's why it changed for 2009. Yet it's still a problem. :s
 
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