F1 2011 season news / pre-season updates

[CaptainRAVE]

Get rid of the stupid limits on it, it stops usefully devlopment andmakes it a bit pointless, let them choose how much energy to recover and how to use it.

+1

There are so many stupid, complicated rules in place in F1 at the moment - it is becoming completely inaccessible to new fans. I wish they would just get to the root of the problem instead of adding these artificial changes. It amazes me how the FIA want to cut costs, but every year keep changing these things and costing the teams a fortune. Of course, it isn't just the FIAs fault. There are some smart people out there who manage to find the smallest loophole in the rules e.g. the diffusers.

 

[Glaucus]

is there a new team next year?

Nope which is a shame. They had a look but didn't accept any of the entries.

It amazes me how the FIA want to cut costs, but every year keep changing these things and costing the teams a fortune. .

As i have said before cost cutting is a load of rubbish. Big teams have the money and will spend it regardless. These cost cutting measures, just mean they spend an extra few million on aero dynamics. It's loop holes and invention that allow smaller teams to have a chance. As they could have an amazing idea and implemented, but they generally can't as rules are to strict and favour the high money approach to gain that extra 0.050seconds from a minor aero update that has probably cost several millions to make.

 

[Duke]

Mclaren team boss talking about innovations for 2011

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88372

The team pioneered the F-duct this season and got a key early advantage from the straightline speed-boosting device, although later in the year rivals Red Bull and Ferrari stole a march when they got their blown diffusers working effectively much earlier than McLaren.

Whitmarsh thinks a design innovation of that type could be crucial again in 2011, and said McLaren was looking good on that front.

"We have got a few ideas up our sleeves. We will see," he said. "Hopefully we have got a slightly different approach, we have some quite inventive ideas.

"It is a combination of things. You have to have fundmanetally a good car and you have got to have some creative solutions, be they blown diffusers or F-ducts - and hopefully we will have a couple of those and we can be strong."

I think it was those new devices that helped the top teams in 2010. Mclaren with the F-duct (which threw Red Bull a bit) and Red Bull with blown diffuser and flexy wings/floor.

 

[EddScott]

The adjustable bodywork seems a bit poorly thought out to me - Get close to car in front and enable it, breeze past (because that car can't enable) and at the next overtaking point the situation is reversed and the positions revert.

How will that work then?

How will they control the car in front not being able to alter its rear wing? What happens if theres more than two cars together? The rear 2 can alter the rear wing but the first car can't?


EDIT - OK, read Flibsters post but still don't think its that clear how it will work. How will it be controlled? Could the system be abused - either by a team or either by the powers that be to give a team an advantage?

 

[Glaucus]

How will they control the car in front not being able to alter its rear wing? What happens if theres more than two cars together? The rear 2 can alter the rear wing but the first car can't?

They are all fitted with high end gps and have a standard ecu fitted in the car. Will al be done electronically.

yep back two will get to adjust front one wont.

 

[SpeedFreak]

so if a GPS unit fails a car could be at a disadvantage? brilliant

My suggestions:

no in race adjustable wings
unlimited use of kers
FIA approved single design rear wing for cleaner slip streaming
FIA approved single design undertray and diffuser

Leave the front wing, shell aero and mechanical suspension up to the teams. Leave these rules virtually untouched for around 5 years or so allowing development to taper and smaller teams to eventually catch up.

 

[utajoker]

i dont agree with this rear wing adjust, people shoudlnt be allowed to overtake just because they can lap faster, it should be because they are a better racer and can outrace the guy infront.

what can the car infront do to defend against this wing adjustment? nothing, just let them drive past.

this is going to stop performances like what petrov did last week were he probably did the race of his F1 career in keeping alonso behind him.

it will stop people taking a risk on stratergies were it can depend on them keeping a car behind them.

KERS is slightly different because you can defend a move by using your KERS at the same time.

why dont they just understand that you need to increase mechanical grip and lower the aero to stop this 'dirty air' behind the cars.

 

[Teq]

Unlimited KERS does sound like a better idea than the flexi wings, it'll force engineers to innovate and still mean drivers have to use skill/judgement to overtake rather than an automated flappy wing...

 

[Flibster]

More Williams news. Not running the flywheel KERS system in 2011 thats done so well in the 911 - they're going down the battery route that did McLaren so well and Ferrari so badly.

 

[SoliD]

More Williams news. Not running the flywheel KERS system in 2011 thats done so well in the 911 - they're going down the battery route that did McLaren so well and Ferrari so badly.

When reading the bit on AS it makes sense, just due to the packaging restrictions, think if refuelling was still allowed it would be a great system.

Hopefully Kers will be unleashed and then we shall see some actual development of a technology that will be useful for every day cars.

 

[hiroofheroes]

The adjustable rear wing is a good idea as a replacement for the f-duct - save drivers steering one handed - but use should be unlimited.

It's the sporting regulations regulating it's use that make it a joke.

 

[ins0mn1ac]

they're going down the battery route that did McLaren so well and Ferrari so badly.

I seem to remember Kimi being handy with the KERS towards the seasons end? Or am I totally making that up?

 

[Merlin5]

Don't know if this has been mentioned here, but something I picked up from an F1 fan on another forum.

"It looks like the Renault team will be no more, the current rumor is that Lotus is splitting into two teams and will be taking over the Renault operation.

Petrov is probably going to move to Virgin, as they've got a deal with Marussia (Russkie automaker) for title sponsorship for next year. With the first Russian GP coming up, I'd imagine they'd want a Russian driver on a Russian-sponsored team. Let's hope this doesn't turn into A1GP.

From what I heard Vettel say on F1 Debrief, I think there's a good chance that he won't be driving for Red Bull next year, there are a lot of teams interested in him."

Can't see vettel leaving personally, considering his best chances of winning again might still be with RB, the quickest cars on the track.

 

[Flibster]

*sigh* Lotus are not splitting into 2.

Group Lotus *read as Dany Bahar* want into F1 under their own name - not happy that Tony Fernandes has done it using a license that was agreed before he arrived.

He's now turned up and has promptly started to alienate all of the people who used to buy Lotus cars and wants to be UK's Ferrari. So the Indy Car, GT4, Le Mans and god knows what other racing projects they've started - all using Team Lotus history as an advert and an explanation - which they don't and have never owned.

Tony Fernandes on the other hand, once told that he wouldn't be allowed to use the Lotus Racing name after this year, went and bought Team Lotus Ventures from David Hunt *brother of WDC James Hunt* and announced that they were changing their team name to Team Lotus for 2011

Group Lotus denied that they could do that as they owned Team Lotus - strange, as they have on their own web site that Team Lotus was owned by other people in the mid 90's

Team Lotus became owned by a new management consortium led by Peter Wright and Peter Collins, the latter having been a former team manager with both Benetton and Williams. Team drivers were Julian Bailey and Mika Hakkinen, with Johnny Herbert retained as official test driver.

and also forbade them from making any reference to Team Lotus in the original agreement as they did not own the trademark.

That argument is going to the high court to be settled - hopefully in Tony's direction - Hunt offered the trademarks to Group Lotus and they turned him down, then when it looked like Tony may be doing a good job they cancelled his deal and tried negotiating again with Hunt, who told them that they have had their chance.

But anyway, Renault seem to want to get out of F1 car production and just retain the engine capacity - So the 25% stake that Renault holds in the F1 team will go to Group Lotus and the team will be sponsored by Group Lotus - So it will be a Lotus Renault - Will still be majority owned by Genii Capital Partners - who hold the remaining 75%

The instigator in all this is Bahar, who seems to not understand what Lotus is. He's just interested in making it Ferrari - and imo will bankrupt Group Lotus while doing it.

The more interesting possible output of all this is that Fernandes takes over Group Lotus like he did with Air Asia - for the first time Team and Group Lotus will be under the same ownership and I think that Tony is the man to be able to do it. Look at how he handled Air Asia.

I still think that this sums it up nice and accurately.

 

[Vulcan]

"It looks like the Renault team will be no more, the current rumor is that Lotus is splitting into two teams and will be taking over the Renault operation.."

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/Motorworld/Story/A1Story20101115-247301.html

 

[visibleman]

FORMULA ONE

Aerodynamic influence
With the exception of the parts necessary for the driver adjustable bodywork, any car system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited from 2011.

Are they actually banning the use of F-Ducts/Stalling the rear wing, or just any device which uses driver movement?

 

[Fr0dders]

*sigh* Lotus are not splitting into 2.

Group Lotus *read as Dany Bahar* want into F1 under their own name - not happy that Tony Fernandes has done it using a license that was agreed before he arrived.

you've lost me now.

so basically The guy that bought lotus cars wants to go racing as lotus, but some bloke running a private team using Malaysian government money claims to have bought the right to use the "Lotus Racing"name for use this season from David Hunt

but the bloke who bought lotus cars claims he's bought it as well and is going to court to fight over who actually owns the name

meanwhile the bloke that has bought lotus group appears to be on the brink of buying Renaults F1 team, presumably to call Lotus as well ?

is that about the sum of it ?

 

[pingwing]

Are they actually banning the use of F-Ducts/Stalling the rear wing, or just any device which uses driver movement?

I think the talk was specifically the F-duct as it was a bit too clever for the other teams to mindlessly throw resources at (take torro rosso pointing out that the second half of their season was terrible for never getting it to work).

The Lotus naming thing needs fixing fast as we cant have 2 Lotus Renault teams, one with a good car and one quality driver and the other still improving car with one (potentially 2 if Trulli urm takes the hint) pretty good drivers....

Would love to see Vettel leave RBR just to see the look on Horners face... (plus it'd allow the drivers market a wealth of movement)

 

[Flibster]

you've lost me now.

so basically The guy that bought lotus cars wants to go racing as lotus, but some bloke running a private team using Malaysian government money claims to have bought the right to use the "Lotus Racing"name for use this season from David Hunt

but the bloke who bought lotus cars claims he's bought it as well and is going to court to fight over who actually owns the name

meanwhile the bloke that has bought lotus group appears to be on the brink of buying Renaults F1 team, presumably to call Lotus as well ?

is that about the sum of it ?

Tony Fernandes made a deal with Group Lotus to use the Lotus name in F1 as Lotus Racing - was not allowed to use Team Lotus as Group Lotus didn't own it.

Dany Bahar arrives at Group Lotus (Lotus Cars, Lotus Engineering and Lotus Motorsport)

Dany Bahar wants Group Lotus In F1.

Dany Bahar cancels the deal with Fernandes due to t-shirts or some such nonsence.

Around this time Hunt is negotiating with Fernandes and Group Lotus independently about selling them Team Lotus Ventures - the company that owns the Team Lotus trademarks. Group Lotus turn him down.

Fernandes then closes the deal and announces to the world that Lotus Racing will become Team Lotus in 2011

Dany Bahar still wants into F1, but doesn't want Fernandes to be Lotus. Cue lots of legal arguments that will be settled in the High Court - essentially Group Lotus are claiming that they own all Team Lotus trademarks - even though they never have.

Renault want out of F1 and Group Lotus rumoured to buy their 25%

So you have Group Lotus buying their way into F1 through Renault F1 and Team Lotus just having a name change from Lotus Racing.

Given that Proton own Group Lotus, I'd say that Group Lotus is using more government money than Lotus Racing - most of the money in the team appears to have come from Fernandes and the sponsors - Team Lotus name is rumoured to have cost Fernandes $20mil of his own money.

Either way - it's not a good thing to be happening. We could in all honesty end up with Lotus Renault and Team Lotus Renault on the grid in 2011.

 

[MissChief]

I think this explains it best.