Regulations Roadmap 2007-2012

[Ciro Pabón]

Here is the source of the news reported by F1Technical, on the roadmap for 2007-2012 regulations, following the recent FOM/GPMA agreement. All your base are belong to us.

http://www.fia.com/mediacentre/Press_Re ... 06-03.html

[JimmyK]

- regulations as published but possible elimination of aerodynamic appendices (barge boards, winglets, chimneys, etc) forward of rear wheel centreline and behind front wheel centreline (subject to unanimous agreement of competing teams);

- wholly or partially standardised aerodynamics

Can we just get this over with and have cars that look exactly the same, even down to the paint? Hell, let's have a spec-series while we're at it...

[leomax]

I have a feeling that they're slowing it too much..

-energy recovery and re-use from braking

- a proportion of waste heat recovered and used to propel the car
- a proportion of waste energy from exhaust gases recovered and used to propel the car

Interesting

[Tom]

I saw that and my immediate thought was of a Jim Bamber style cartoon with Briatore sticking 2 fingers out at a dejected Max while a Renault with a thrust canon on the back speed past the checkered flag.

I assume they mean used to power some elctronics via a turbine/dyno arrangement or something? Although a brabham fan car idea might be more fun.

[mx_tifoso]

After learning what the FIA is proposing for F1 for the upcoming years can anyone really wonder why M.Schumacher decided to get the heck out of F1? and why K.Raikkonen has said that his contract with Ferrari might be his last as well in F1? F1 is going down hill with the B*llsH*t regulations that the FIA is coming up with just to "bring down the cost needed to compete in Formula 1".
Next thing we know GP2 cars are going to be faster and more technologically advanced than F1 cars,which will be the sadest day in the history of motorsports racing,

To h*ll with turbocharged F1 cars ! theres nothing like a naturally aspirated engine,be it 6 cylinders or up to 12,
i dont see the need to make F1 technology relevant to road cars, F1 has always been extravagant and technologically superior to everything else in the automibile industry(motorports and whatever can fit into that)

Scuderia Ferrari = 2007 WCC
Kimi Raikkonen = 2007 WDC

[DaveKillens]

The manufacturers have spoken, and Max has opened a door for them. I have read these proposals and I believe this is a roadmap of where F1 intends to be in the future, not just a set of independant rules.
Aero is on the way out, one way or another it is going to be reduced substiantally. Environmentally friendly bio fuels and high performance engines seem to be the emphasis, and the buzzword is efficiency.
It seems that the trend will be to follow and integrate production car technology, instead of inventing new technologies that may eventually find their way to production for the masses. It's a shame, because many things such as mirrors and paddle shifters first found use in racing, to eventually wind up on the street.
And since passing will be a priority, don't expect wide tracks and fat slicks.
So what will we wind up with? High RPM turbocharged small displacement cars in a fuel efficiency race. Narrow cars to allow two wide on even the narrowest scenario, no slipping and sliding because all drivetrain parameters will be controlled by traction control, or anti-skid technology. The days of the high nose and keels are numbered, low noses will come back. The cars will resemble those of the late 80's or early 90's, but narrower and with minimal wings.
The people at IRL, Champ Car, and A1GP must be salivating, because F1 has abandoned fat tires, wide cars with huge wings and downforce, and just going balls out all the time.

Come gather round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
Then you'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a changing

The line, it is drawn, the curse, it is cast
The slow one will later be fast
And the present now will soon be the past
The order is rapidly fading
The first one now will later be last
For the times, they are a changing

The first and last parts of Bob Dylan's Times They Are A Changing

[johny]

I like that "green" thinking and that could help to move F1 more into the pinnacle that most of us want. Someone could say that they're planning a spec-series but being sincere, most people that aren't F1 insiders watch a whole race and after that 90% times they'll say it was a bore one.

What F1 needs is to gain all possible fans and IMO they won't do it using larger engines or opening the rulebook. Some people could be interested in technology aplied to this cars, others in the excitement of the competition but why not approaching it to a sector of people that nowadays hates this "circus".

For me having a wind tunnel opperating 24/7 sound a bit silly, yes they produce some aerobits that are really ugly but appart from helping "the procesion" it has no other use.

Also the green proposals are a huge blast for automotive industry, maybe 10 years ago no one would care about global warning or greenhouse effect. But today we're suffering it and people starts thinking about new eco-friendly energies and debating were did we failled.

IMO green light

[Steven]

I have a feeling that they're slowing it too much..

-energy recovery and re-use from braking

- a proportion of waste heat recovered and used to propel the car
- a proportion of waste energy from exhaust gases recovered and used to propel the car

Interesting

Well they are probably going to do this at a reduced pace because they want to keep competition in. These things are new for Formula One cars and several will come up with different solutions. If one team would find a superior technology and use it combined for all allowed new energy recovery things, the whole season would be boring. Instead, the FIA and the teams opt to do it slowly so that they can concentrate one one thing at the time (thus also not requiring lots of short term resources).

[allan]

i think FIA is taking it too far with all this bs..
the next thing, we're gonna see drivers on horses faster than F1 cars...
i mean, for more than 5o years, f1 has been the ultimate racing class, and now MR MOSELY wants it to go down the hill...
that's bs!!
i can't imagine life without real f1 cars...

[DaveKillens]

It's very possible that F1 cars will wind up posessing much lower levels of performance. And that an A1GP or Champ Car will be able to post substantially quicker times on the same circuit. But F1 and the FIA have been around for a long time, and intend to be around for many years to come.
These days, if you don't make a realistic asessment and change for the times, you could suddenly find yourselves suddenly out of business. With increasing environmental concerns and laws, it's good business sense to anticipate trends and be ready for the changes.
Here's a good example ... a few years ago the federal Canadian government totally outlawed fuels with lead in them. The manufacturers and gas stations had already made the transition, it was no concern. But the Formula One and other series were still using fuels with lead additives. They were in real risk that the races would not have happened without a lot of back room manipulation and quick allowances for some exemptions. It was very close, too close.
So although the new roadmap may seem to suck, it definitely positions F1 and the FIA to be around 50 years from now.

[johny]

i agree with you dave, F1 could be a benchmark for other series but F1 needs something else and being nº1 in eco-issues will help consolidating it.

When i heard about those rules i don't find crap slow cars, i see some good iniciatives and also room to have a better show

[Carlos]

It's going to be interesting. In the interview Principessa published, from memory , they were suggesting turbo charged engines of about 600+HP.
I discussed it with a forum member by PM and it sounded like an engine, even using old tech, that would be about 700cc>750cc. It will be interesting
Will they be 8 cylinders, V-twins or singles? Maybe 600cc twins that are derived from current 2.4 engines? You would just need a hacksaw and a turbo -- -- maybe that's a stretch of imagination. I wouldn't mind.
I could see wingless cars with advanced undertray aero -- push to pass tech, perhaps like what we have discussed in other threads, that may add 10%>15% HP. Eco-F1. The cars would still be intriguing.
The pilots would still have 5 times our ability. I like the threads that remind us that even GP drivers than never achieved very much, would still make you or I look like we were driving a kitchen stove on wheels compared to a LeMans prototype. I will watch Eco-F1, even if I will have to steal the remote from a lobby full of seniors at the old folks home
Wish me well; I have to leave now, to endure, an Office Xmas Party.

[DaveKillens]

Personally, for me good racing is good racing. Be it sedans, motorcycles, or formula cars, what matters (to me) is close, intense, tough but clean batttling. Give the drivers relatively equal machinery, a decent format and track, and let them go at it.
Even today, what does Formula One have to brag about? Highest speeds? NASCAR stock cars average higher speeds for 500 miles. Quicker? Ever seen a top fuel drag racer? Cornering speeds? Average compared to most top series. Braking yes, impressive. So what does Formula One have that others don't? The most expensive, by far. Millions and millions are spent researching improvements that can only be applied to the race cars, and usually that it only temporary. And if you think F1 is the ultimate in high technology, just gaze upwards and remember that just about any airliner you see up there easily exceeds F1 in that arena.
Personally, what I want is that for every Formula One race you are pretty well guaranteed great racing, where the lead is regularly and hotly contested. Where there are battles throughout the pack, and for the entire race. And all this done by the very best of the best drivers, with no drivers there because they bought their way because of politics of because they brought a lot of sponsorship dollars.
Because when you strip away all the pretty girls, the carnival atmosphere, drama and movie stars, it's the racing, what happens during the race that defines just how good it really is. And if the race sucks, then it sucks.
And the show has to have substance, else it's just flash without substance.

[pRo]

Don't take them too seriously, we've seen this too many times. First they come up with something wild, which just doesn't make much sense to anyone. Then they come up with more reasonable ideas and everyone feels happy, cause they got a taste of how bad things could be.

After learning what the FIA is proposing for F1 for the upcoming years can anyone really wonder why M.Schumacher decided to get the heck out of F1? and why K.Raikkonen has said that his contract with Ferrari might be his last as well in F1?

I don't consider myself the best driver in the world, but if I did, I'd WANT to prove myself with similar cars, leaving no room for "but he only had the best car". Are you saying Schumi or Kimi would be afraid to compete with standardised aerodynamics?

[mx_tifoso]

Don't take them too seriously, we've seen this too many times. First they come up with something wild, which just doesn't make much sense to anyone. Then they come up with more reasonable ideas and everyone feels happy, cause they got a taste of how bad things could be.

After learning what the FIA is proposing for F1 for the upcoming years can anyone really wonder why M.Schumacher decided to get the heck out of F1? and why K.Raikkonen has said that his contract with Ferrari might be his last as well in F1?

I don't consider myself the best driver in the world, but if I did, I'd WANT to prove myself with similar cars, leaving no room for "but he only had the best car". Are you saying Schumi or Kimi would be afraid to compete with standardised aerodynamics?

I am in NO way at all saying that Schumi and Kimi are afraid to compete with standardized aerodynamics or anything for that matter,but i think that after competing in Formula 1 when the technology was the complete best in motor racing, why would one want to compete in a more expensive version of GP2? with standardized "earo" and extremely low output engines(compared to those of the 90's and earls 2000's), Schumi fell in love with Formula 1 the way it was in the 90's and early 2000's, i doubt that he would enjoy the future F1,with b*llsh*t turbos and all

And i doubt Michael Schumacher has anything left to prove, to you or to anyone else who doubts his abilities and accomplishments, he didnt win every drivers championship because he had the best car,even when he didnt have the best car on the grid, he still won,thats why Schumacher is the best driver in the world, and you're not,