Red Bull and Lotus to protest Mercedes f-duct

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Hearing more and more news about a protest from Red Bull and Renault regarding Mercedes f-duct development.
Whiting has clearly stated he believes its legal, and the reasons why:

What it appears some teams are doing is, when the DRS is operated, it will allow air to pass through a duct and do other things. That's all I can really say. It's completely passive, there are no moving parts in it, it doesn't interact with the suspension, no steering, nothing. Therefore, I can't see any rule that prohibits it. There is a school of thought that F-ducts are banned, but we simply cannot ban whatever an F-duct is

[banibhusan]

I feel its better if RBR and Lotus accept that it's legal and go back to the drawing board and come up with their own version of the concept. Charlie seems to be clear in his statement that the device is strictly within the rules, unless you change the rules again.

They need at least 10KPH extra speed anyways, by looking at the speed-trap of the qualifying session today.

[xpensive]

Hearing more and more news about a protest from Red Bull and Renault regarding Mercedes f-duct development.
Whiting has clearly stated he believes its legal, and the reasons why:
...

That has happened before, Whiting is not calling the shots on such issues.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Game of politics now.


Shame.

Edit: Just seems like very sour grapes from red bull.

[myurr]

Game of politics now.


Shame.

Edit: Just seems like very sour grapes from red bull.

Very much like their complaints of the last few years of how other teams that protest their flexing wings and the like are just jealous.

I have a feeling it will go one of two ways. Either the front f-duct will be banned from the next race onwards due to a technical directive providing a clarification, or they'll run it this season only to ban it for next season.

[beelsebob]

Game of politics now.


Shame.

Edit: Just seems like very sour grapes from red bull.

Very much like their complaints of the last few years of how other teams that protest their flexing wings and the like are just jealous.

I have a feeling it will go one of two ways. Either the front f-duct will be banned from the next race onwards due to a technical directive providing a clarification, or they'll run it this season only to ban it for next season.

Nope, that's not how an official protest works. An official protest is a team saying to the FIA "I have evidence that my oposition is cheating, please exclude them from the results". If Merc's system is ruled illegal, they'll be DSQed, just like Sauber were last year.

[myurr]

@beelsebob - I agree that's how the official protest should work, but I don't see the FIA doing that. If they want to stop Mercedes from using the system then they'll probably reject the official protest but then lodge a technical directive. Should have made that more clear.

[banibhusan]

But if the FIA have already gone through technical details of their system and deemed it legal, then on what basis they can say it's illegal now.

There is no direct rule which says passive F-ducts are banned. It may go like it went for the McLaren pioneered F-ducts in 2010, which the FIA banned for next year.

[myurr]

But if the FIA have already gone through technical details of their system and deemed it legal, then on what basis they can say it's illegal now.

There is no direct rule which says passive F-ducts are banned. It may go like it went for the McLaren pioneered F-ducts in 2010, which the FIA banned for next year.

They haven't. Mercedes asked Whiting for an opinion. That's not an official ruling, and the protest will not involve Whiting making a decision.

[CHT]

I feel its better if RBR and Lotus accept that it's legal and go back to the drawing board and come up with their own version of the concept. Charlie seems to be clear in his statement that the device is strictly within the rules, unless you change the rules again.

They need at least 10KPH extra speed anyways, by looking at the speed-trap of the qualifying session today.

considering how much lotus have "suffered" after FIA made a u-turn on the ride height adjustment suspension they have developed, I think deserve to give is a try.

[kilcoo316]

They haven't. Mercedes asked Whiting for an opinion. That's not an official ruling, and the protest will not involve Whiting making a decision.

Thats the problem, the whole system is f**ked.


Before any potentially controversial part goes on the car, the team should ask the FIA - is this legal - and get a definitive answer.


None of this opinion from Charlie sh!t.

[marcush.]

Mercedes found speed and Bernie does like that -it fits his bill perfectly this year having Schumacher as race winner .Let´s face it -if Schumi is back into contention for a ultimate record 8th championship the TV numbers will skyrocket and for the US Grand Prix I think Schumi is the one guy known there ??
Whiting will not do anything ..as he did nothing against RedBull (but 2 is enough.. )

Obviously it will be Ferraris turn to stretch the rules a bit more from 2013 ..

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

The system is not driver operated, doesnt move, remains the same and doesnt change shape or from before or after DRS activation.

It works once DRS is activated yes. But that is neither here nor there as the genius of the system lies in Mercedes placing it in the location they did.

Red bull moaning blue buggery over a rivals innovation, yet they lambasted McLaren, Ferrari et all for asking for clarifications.
If it does it banned Im burning an effigy of Horner tonight....

[threep]

If you protest something then you should get a judgement on why it is or is not legal, not merely an 'opinion' which Charlie has form for changing.

[flickster]

They haven't. Mercedes asked Whiting for an opinion. That's not an official ruling, and the protest will not involve Whiting making a decision.

Thats the problem, the whole system is f**ked.


Before any potentially controversial part goes on the car, the team should ask the FIA - is this legal - and get a definitive answer.


None of this opinion from Charlie sh!t.

Couldn't agree more with you. The system in it's current form is a total joke. Think about the hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars Lotus wasted working on the re-active height system not to mention time, only to be told it is illegal after having been told earlier that it was ok.

Same goes for Merc GP, they have put all this effort into the system, asked Charlie the Tech Director of F1 if it is OK and he has said yes, if you can't trust the word of the Tech Director of F1 then who's word can you trust on an F1 tech matter... it is a total joke and it makes me sad that F1 has come to this.

More and more it is just about getting new innovations banned or writing new rules to limit any new innovation, in a few years we will just have a stock car formula.

I know F1 has always had politics but it's simply getting out of hand.

Stop the sour grapes and build a better car.