DDD Banned for 2011?

[snowy]

F1 technical are say:

Formula One teams have recently agreed on banning the double deck diffusers as of 2011. While it is now too late to make the change for 2010, it is believed that this is the best way to implement a further decrease on the downforce levels of current F1 cars. ...

Better late than never, I guess...

 

[Brogan]

I was surprised no-one picked up on this yesterday when it was first reported.

It is apparently an attempt to once again slow the cars down, by up to a whole second per lap

How though does this tally with the FIA's attempt to reduce costs?
A few teams are going to have to do very expensive redesigns for 2011, not to mention everyone spent a fortune last season trying to catch up with the teams who started out with double diffusers.

More here on Autosport: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80766

 

[cider_and_toast]

Part of the FISA/FOCA row that lead to the first concorde agreement was the timing of FISA rule changes. There are supposed to be a two year lead time on new regulations.

If only they'd listenend to Ross Brawn in the first place. Ironically if they had of done there wouldn't have been a world championship for the team, Button wouldn't be in a Mclaren this year and Schuey wouldn't be making a come back. Funny how things turn on such little decisions.

The other ironic thing is that after the banning of skirts the powers that be went to great lengths to ensure that cars had flat bottoms, then in 94 when that proved to be too quick they went to great lengths to install planks under the cars to ensure that they didn't have flat bottoms. Now the underfloor aerodynamics are so quick again, guess what? Yep it's back to flat bottoms. Any one want to bet that there will be more changes to the underside of the car in a few years time?

Round and round and round we go.

 

[snowy]

It's all Charlie Whiting's fault, he has cost F1 millions in costly redesigns and rebuilds. All he had to do was tell Brawn, Toyota and Williams that the DDD wasn't actually within the spirit of the new regulations when they first approached him with their concepts for 2009.
He's an of the first order and should be castrated, or at least horse whipped.

 

[GeoffP]

The other ironic thing is that after the banning of skirts the powers that be went to great lengths to ensure that cars had flat bottoms, then in 94 when that proved to be too quick they went to great lengths to install planks under the cars to ensure that they didn't have flat bottoms. Now the underfloor aerodynamics are so quick again, guess what? Yep it's back to flat bottoms. Any one want to bet that there will be more changes to the underside of the car in a few years time?

Round and round and round we go.

Thing is, wasn't it generally acknowledged that the ground effect/skirt technology was one of the cheapest most effective ways of maximising a cars performance whilst not effecting the cars nearby...

Rather like the the economy requirements from that era that have not been introduced by their green focus, the powers that be in F1 are a great collection of self proctologists!

 

[cider_and_toast]

Thing is, wasn't it generally acknowledged that the ground effect/skirt technology was one of the cheapest most effective ways of maximising a cars performance whilst not effecting the cars nearby...

Yeah, and when they banned Turbo's the head of Honda at the time declared the move stupid. I can't remember the exact quote but it was something along the lines of "It's stupid to outlaw Turbo's. It is far cheeper and easier to limit speeds by lowering the boost than buy the expensive hunt for a few more revs that will now take place with normally asperated engines"

Oh look, he was right.

Mind you, the issue with side skirts is understandable because once the sliding skirts were banned the cars were unsafe and almost undriveable if the skirts failed. You only have to look at the number of deaths in crashes due in part to driver positions as a result of trying to balance the fixed skirts and prevent porpoising of the car.

 

[teabagyokel]

Only Merc and Williams (and the new teams) will have a major disadvantage, because they've not designed a non-DDD car for 2009. And Stefan F1!

 

[snowy]

I doubt McLaren, Ferrari or Renault will want to revisit their designs that were over 2 seconds off the pace at the beginning of 2009..

 

[teabagyokel]

Don't think the Bull would mind too much, though!