Adjustable Rear Wing (DRS)

[ringo]

It could be for 7th and sixth i guess. Tough it's a few km/h.

Here are the technical regulations on the wing.

3.18.1

- When viewed from the side of the car at any longitudinal vertical cross section, the physical point of rotation of the rearmost and uppermost closed section must be fixed and located no more than 20mm below the upper extremity and no more than 20mm forward of the rear extremity of the area described in Article 3.10.2 at all times.
- The design is such that failure of the system will result in the uppermost closed section returning to the normal high incidence position.
- Any alteration of the incidence of the uppermost closed section may only be commanded by direct driver input and controlled using the control electronics specified in Article 8.2.

3.18.2

The adjustable bodywork may be activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race and, for the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the race, after the driver has completed a minimum of two laps after the race start or following a safety car period.

The driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he has been notified via the control electronics (see Article 8.2) that it is enabled. It will only be enabled if the driver is less than one second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions around each circuit. The system will be disabled by the control electronics the first time the driver uses the brakes after he has activated the system.

The FIA may, after consulting all competitors, adjust the above time proximity in order to ensure the stated purpose of the adjustable bodywork is met.3.18.1 The incidence of the rearmost and uppermost closed section described in Article 3.10.2 may be varied whilst the car is in motion provided:
- It comprises only one component that must be symmetrically arranged about the car centre line with a minimum width of 708mm.
- With the exception of minimal parts solely associated with adjustment of the section, no parts of the section in contact with the external airstream may be located any more than 355mm from of the car centre line.
- With the exception of any minimal parts solely associated with adjustment of the rearmost and uppermost section, two closed sections are used in the area described in Article 3.10.2.
- Any such variation of incidence maintains compliance with all of the bodywork regulations.
2011 FIA Technical Regulations

[volarchico]

So what was the point of banning the F-duct, and then allowing an adjustable wing which presumably has the same effect? And I guess it depends on where these "pre-determined" positions on the track are where it allowed to be used. Another question: if a car manages to overtake another while using this feature, it will no longer be "less than 1 second behind" since it will actually now be ahead...so what happens then?

[PNSD]

The F-duct was deemed to be dangerous given that drivers had to drive one handed with it in operation. I believe once activated for an overtake, the wing will stay in its raise nose posistion until the driver hits the brakes... then it will return to its default posistion.

[volarchico]

So what was the point of banning the F-duct, and then allowing an adjustable wing which presumably has the same effect? And I guess it depends on where these "pre-determined" positions on the track are where it allowed to be used. Another question: if a car manages to overtake another while using this feature, it will no longer be "less than 1 second behind" since it will actually now be ahead...so what happens then?

I've sadly been away for almost 2 months from F1. I'm military deployed and had to have the last 3 races recorded and sent to me so I've avoided F1Tech so it wouldn't ruin the results! Sorry that my post is already covered quite thoroughly in the "2011 Cars" thread! I'll try to catch up reading everything first before I post again.

[PlatinumZealot]

So what was the point of banning the F-duct, and then allowing an adjustable wing which presumably has the same effect? And I guess it depends on where these "pre-determined" positions on the track are where it allowed to be used. Another question: if a car manages to overtake another while using this feature, it will no longer be "less than 1 second behind" since it will actually now be ahead...so what happens then?

The moveable wing is more reliable, repeatable and simpler I guess.

I like the idea.


I think there is a way to incorporate a Mercesez style F-duct to the main plain as well as another duct for the upper plane.

[gridwalker]

Just so you know, all blown slots are banned for 2011 : Mercedes-style or otherwise.

“3.10.2 Other than the bodywork defined in Article 3.10.9, any bodywork behind a point lying 50mm forward of the rear wheel centre line which is more than 730mm above the reference plane, and less than 355mm from the car centre line, must lie in an area when viewed from the side of the car that is situated between the rear wheel centre line and a point 350mm behind it.
With the exception of minimal parts solely associated with adjustment of the section in accordance with
Article 3.18 :
- when viewed from the side of the car, no longitudinal cross section may have more than two sections in this area, each of which must be closed.
- no part of these longitudinal cross sections in contact with the external air stream may have a local concave radius of curvature smaller than 100mm.
Once the rearmost and uppermost section is defined, ‘gurney’ type trim tabs may be fitted to the trailing edge. When measured in any longitudinal cross section no dimension of any such trim tab may exceed 20mm.
The chord of the rearmost and uppermost closed section must always be smaller than the chord of the lowermost section at the same lateral station.”

[deus1066]

I think it's a bit strange they're allowed unlimited use of it in practice, and particularly qualifying. I can understand in practice, as a way of testing it and getting used to its effects. But in qualifying? It means the drivers will be constantly on the button as soon as they're no longer downforce-limited, much like they were with the F-duct. Though this time they'll also have the KERS button to press along with the usual gear changes and adjustments on the wheel. At least their hands are still on the wheel I guess.

I'd prefer it if it was disabled during qualifying.

Link to Scarbs explanation and diagrams:
http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/2010/12/1 ... explained/

[FW17]

It is clear from the posts that the upper element of the wing will be movable. This I guess will be compleetely horizontal when activated.

However the lower fixed element in most cases is almost horizontal or in some cases with a positive angle. Can the teams set the next years rear wing in such a way that the lower element has a negative angle without in breach of rules as the upper element is with a positive angle.

[FrukostScones]

Can it be that with the ARW, the fasted lap will be devaluated. I mean, it is possible to set the fasted lap just because the driver is using the ARW while overtaking (or beeing less than one sec behind another car).
And the leading (or fasted) driver , with no one to overtake, can't use the device. Strange! I also think that the driver should not be allowed to use the ARW in qualiyfing. Makes it even harder to compare laptimes.

[Belatti]

Werent the drivers adjusting the front wing already?


Will that be banned now that they can adjust the rear?

[747heavy]

Werent the drivers adjusting the front wing already?


Will that be banned now that they can adjust the rear?

Yes, no FW adjuster only RW

[Belatti]

So, how much do you guess the CoP will change?

That will make things interesting for the drivers. Sliding at 300kmh? Hmmm.... There are "straights" that are not that straight. Tamburello doesnt exist anymore but then there is Blanchimont at Spa, Curve 11 at Turkey or even 130R at Suzuka that could lead to cars spread into the walls...

[ringo]

It may shift to the front slightly, but the majority of the down-force is in the middle.
The good the thing is the rear wing is not completely stalled, so the effect wont be as bad as if the top element was completely gone.

[FW17]

The new rule with the adjustable rear wing is a disaster to racing.

"The one control that the FIA have is that at each race circuit they can set the deployment point on the straight at which you're allowed to press the button - for instance you might be allowed to press it for the last 300 metres of the straight to the braking point," he said.

"The FIA have it in their power to limit the situation so that the authority of the system is making sense, and that may take one or two races to settle down. But they can lengthen or shorten that amount of straight on a race by race basis. So I think that will give some ability to make the thing work in the way that we intended."

1) Why should the FIA decide where and when overtaking will be allowed. FIA is incompetent to manage a safety car period wonder what chaos and manipulation they are going to pull during this season.

2) Why should the leading driver be disadvantaged than the following driver. This is going to lead to some desperate Schumacher like cutting across as defence.

3) All this talk about improving the show is just sad. I would prefer watching test cricket to T20 any day. This is not what F1 requires.

[forty-two]

I don't yet fully understand the "When can the ARW be deployed" element of the new regulations, but a few points occur to me.

- When considering only two cars (let's say for example P1 and P2), if the P2 car closes to within 1 second of the car in P1, he can deploy his ARW. Surely, as soon as he gets alongside and marginally in front of the other car, the other car is then in P2, and therefore "behind" the passing car within 1 second, can the car now in P2 then deploy HIS ARW?

- When considering three cars in close formation (let's say for example P1, P2 and P3), let's assume they're all running within .75 seconds of one another, so a gap between P1 and P3 of 1.5 seconds. When approaching the "zone" in which the FIA decide the ARW can be deployed, presumably both the trailing cars are able to deploy their ARW (as they are both within 1 second of the car in front). Isn't this likely to lead to a pile up between all three cars?

- Do we expect this to lead to a rediscovery of some teamwork? What I mean is that let's say two cars of the same team are line-astern in say P2 and P3, chasing down the car in P1. As the car in P1 would not be allowed to deploy his ARW ('cos he's not within 1 second of another car) his laptime will theoretically be compromised compared to the car in P3. If the two team-members worked together passing each other at alternate laps, they could aggregate the benefit of ARW in order to more quickly catch the car in P1. Catching is one thing, passing and MAINTAINING a pass is of course quite another, especially now we have ARW into the mix!

I'm actually most interested in the final line of thought. This MIGHT lead to some exciting racing, but of course the tacticians at the top teams would already have been working on ways of countering this.