Suspension geometry will be the next big development.

[Giblet]

In the recent past, the largest geometry change was the moving from various keel designs to the zero keel everyone uses today. The reason of course was the aerodynamic gain from removing the keel from the front to back airflow, but the loss was less than perfect front suspension geometry.

I look at the suspension mounts on the front wheel hubs of the Mercedes and STR this year, choosing to use a mount coming out from the front wheel hub so they can place the end of the suspension arm where they want for an aero gain. A baby step to new ideas.

Unless I am smarter than the teams, and I am probably not, that the other end of the arm that connects to the chassis could also be repositioned to where is wanted, correct?

If you had mounts for the suspension and steering arms both front and rear, there are a LOT of potential gains. Flat arms, arms staggered to make a wing with slots, etc. Seems like a fertile ground.

We're talking placing the arms essentially wherever you want for aero and/or suspension geometry reasons.

Am I crazy or wrong in this assessment of potential?

[Muulka]

They also have structural and weight concerns. You can't just put the hardpoints anywhere or the whole system will flex far too much and/or be impossibly heavy.
There's not much to be gained in this area, and what changes are made are basically purely aerodynamic. Suspension geometry is very much second-order in terms of car performance.
Generally if you think you're cleverer than the totality of F1 engineers, you're probably wrong

[Scootin159]

What you're describing is basically the "twin keel" design that many teams used around the "keel era".

[FightingHellPhish]

If you want continuous suspension geometry development.. there is a certain series I will not ever name on this forum as I'm pretty sure I would get run out of here on a rail

They tend to have different control arms and uprights for every track they go to. All because its one of the only 'open' development routes they have.

[godlameroso]

There is still a huge scope for developing the diffuser and barge boards. Just optimizing their shapes can net half a second of performance at least.

Next year we may see a shuffling of the grid as teams start to really figure out the new regulations. I can easily see teams being 1.2 seconds faster just from an updated chassis, maybe
1.7 seconds faster in total.

Can the pilots really cope with a 1:20 around Melbourne? Or a 1:17 around Barcelona?