I just read it. Felxi-floor test...hmmm..At least it prooves us on this forum that we are not that stupid at all It has to be something behind our speculations about flexing floors/wings, and I was sure before, that these increased-weight FIA tests are not enough to catch the ( cheating? ) teams. Will be interesting to see Monza onboard shots.thestig84 wrote:The flexible bodywork tests are being beefed up again for Monza. Surely these tests will cut it out more than the Spa tests.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86109
horse wrote:Can someone explain to me the mechanism for the flexing of the floor being able to change the height of the front wing? Is the floor changing the angle of attack of the nose cone? For that to happen, though, surely the whole chassis would be tipped? I'm a confused little pony.
the plank (stepplane ) of the car is the lowest part of the car .It starts 330 mmmadly wrote:
Thanks marcush, I think I get it. Basically, I think you're saying that the floor is becoming bow shaped. I believe, that if this is the case, then they will get extra benefits from the floor taking this profile as this will effectively increase the diffuser angle at the same time. However, engineering the car to take this attitude must be pretty challenging.marcush. wrote:Now lift the splitter a bit pulling the plank up the same amount and your effective hingepoint (contact point of the plank goes backwards to the point where the plank is fixed to the car bottom ...an estimated 1000mm further back.
I have posted a link to racecar engineering were they had an interview with steve nevey about designed flexing of carbonfibrestructures...that was at the end of last year and the guy did openly admit to that this is what they do.they design the parts to flex as needed under load..horse wrote:Thanks marcush, I think I get it. Basically, I think you're saying that the floor is becoming bow shaped. I believe, that if this is the case, then they will get extra benefits from the floor taking this profile as this will effectively increase the diffuser angle at the same time. However, engineering the car to take this attitude must be pretty challenging.marcush. wrote:Now lift the splitter a bit pulling the plank up the same amount and your effective hingepoint (contact point of the plank goes backwards to the point where the plank is fixed to the car bottom ...an estimated 1000mm further back.
The FIA is to ramp up its flexi bodywork tests further for the Italian Grand Prix, AUTOSPORT has learned, in a move to stop teams gaining a potential unfair advantage.
Although it is widely known that the FIA is to increase the loads it uses to test deflection of the front wings from this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, sources have revealed that even more action is to be taken for the next event in Monza.
Amid mounting speculation that the lower front wings observed on the Red Bull Racing and Ferrari cars are being put into use through clever flexing of the car's floor, rather than the wings flexing down themselves, the FIA is to introduce extra tests on the underside area of the car.
In a document sent to teams during the summer break by Charlie Whiting, FIA technical chiefs have been informed that extra tests are to take place on the floor of the chassis - especially in the 'tea tray' area at the front edge.
The teams have not been told exactly what the tests will be - only that they will take place 380mm behind the front wheel centre line at points 100mm either side of the car centre line.
Furthermore, it is understood that the FIA is to revise the regulations regarding skid blocks, to ensure that joints in this area do not allow freedom that could help the floor to flex.
From the Italian Grand Prix it is understood that the skid block can comprise of no more than two pieces, and that no piece of the skid block can be less than one metre long. A number of teams are understood to use several sections of skid block on the underside of their floor.
To further ensure teams are not deflecting the floor, from Monza all joints, bearing pivots and any other form of articulation must also be fixed.
The move by the FIA comes on the back of weeks of controversy about flexible front wings - with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari's designs having come under intense scrutiny.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said he was surprised by what he had observed on the Red Bull Racing and Ferrari cars.
"Clearly no wing can be infinitely rigid, but there are limits to which they should be allowed to flex," he said. "If you try to explain what is happening, either you can explain it by hugely raked cars - but if you do simple geometry then the ride height would be over 100mm and there is no evidence of that being the case.
"Or you do it by some means of the outer edge of the wings lowering down by more than we expect. Or the front of the floor is moving up further than we expect, because that is another part of bodywork that is intended to be rigidly attached.
"In truth we don't understand it and maybe there is another way but I, as a fairly simple engineer, can't think of anything other than those three explanations. If there is another one then I will be happy to hear it. It is surprising.
"I think the FIA has got to take a view now of what is acceptable, and if it is acceptable, to get the endplates down. Every millimetre is about one point of downforce at the front, although it also improves the rear. So 25-30mm of vertical lowering of the endplates is one second [per lap], so it is fairly substantial."
I didn't say that flexi wings are flexing just because of flexi floors. It's clearly visible that the wing is felxing on its own. But i'm just saying that FIA tests are pointing towards the flexing floor possibility too. And flexi floors were not mentioned officially before Hungary if I remember correctly, so the problem is there for sure, if FIA reacts that fast.segedunum wrote:I doubt it. It's getting a little annoying seeing Mercedes and McLaren shooting in the dark and prodding the FIA to change tests right, left and centre.
+1marcush. wrote: I hear the bell ringinging with RedBull changing tubs quite often and claiming
some minor damage that could have had an influence...blabla.. maybe that were the teething problems in introducing the tub to controlled flexing.