WhiteBlue wrote:Pingguest wrote:Now, if a racing series wants to ban electronic stability control, is it inevitable that active suspensions must thrown out the window as well or do I misunderstand anything?
I do not agree. ESC is about the angular velocity and torque of the wheels under power and acceleration. Active suspension is about attitude and ride hight. There is a small overlap but you can clearly divide the two technologies by the use of the sensors.
In a controlled environment of the F1 SECU you can ban all ESC effects from the active suspension program. This means you can be more liberal in terms of active ride hight and attitude control.
Just as I thought: there is an overlap, albeit a small one. Just as with the active/electronic differentials currently used in Formula 1.
In past you have advocated Formula 1 to adopt regulations that would make the series more (road) relevant. I agree with that, although it raises a number of fundamental issues.
One of those is the existence and necessity[1] of standardized electronics, which were introduced in order to enforce the ban on traction control (hereafter: TC), engine braking and variable differential locking. That regulation severely limits the teams' and their manufactures' room for innovation. For example, even with physically unregulated kinetic energy recovery systems (hereafter: KERS) teams are forced to use those technologies in ways manufactures would not use it in their road cars. In terms of (road car) relevancy a lot of potential has therefore been lost, due to its force application. And one could argue that with KERS being unlimited physically and in application, there would still be no TC and anti-lock braking systems (hereafter: ABS): just as with continuously variable transmissions, KERS makes those systems simply unnecessary. If that outcome makes certain technologies or applications undesirable, do we oppose driver aids or the inevitable consequences of innovation then? This concerns the very nature and the fundamental principles of Formula 1. If Formula 1 wants to stay what it thinks to be the ultimate drivers' challenge, a lot of Formula 1's potential in terms of relevancy will be lost.
However, if it will be decided to allow innovation a re-legalisation of driver aids becomes inevitable. That is not necessarily a nightmare, I think. If ineffective tyres are introduced - such as all-weather tyres that need to last the entire race distance - would not the driver aids be designed to work moderately?
[1] For many years in the WTCC the FIA seems to be able to enforce the ban on driver aids without standardized electronics.