F1technical.net

Changes made to bodywork design, originally aimed at reducing downforce and drag for increased efficiency, have reverted to 2012 specification

Wait... what?

Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/12/05/f ... orce-2014/

Many have said the sport could either choose to cut costs or choose to develop technology, but not both, because the only proven cost-cutting strategy has been the restriction of technology. It seems the sport made its decision, and it's a perfectly valid one, too, even though I really wish things had gone the other way.

I'm quite saddened in a way. I think most teams will be practically converged on near-identical designs by then, meaning engine becomes THE performance differentiator.

Formula One continues to test my patience. As the other thread around here discusses, the chances of F1 being replaced as my favorite form of motorsport have increased from zero to some small number over the last few years.

raymondu999 wrote:I'm quite saddened in a way. I think most teams will be practically converged on near-identical designs by then, meaning engine becomes THE performance differentiator.

Indeed, common design lines will be followed by then, and all the various pieces attached to the engine and the unit per se will be what will make the races different.
Personally I hoped for the less-aero emphasize and lower levels of downforce, but you never know. This, as bhallg2k mentioned, is the financially good decision.

So... Lewis Hamilton doing a happy dance?

I don't think there was really any incentive for change. This past season was apparently the most popular one in ages, which presumably means most fans need only DRS and silly putty tires to be completely entertained. Why spend more to make the smaller "F1T contingent" happy when the sport is quite healthy both critically and financially as it is?

At any rate, I guess this removes most doubt as to whether or not the V6 will be introduced as planned.

EDIT:

Red Schneider wrote:So... Lewis Hamilton doing a happy dance?

I'd totally forgotten about that one. I bet he's livid.

Will 2014 exhaust position be just like 2012 position or it will be like current GP2 exhaust position?

Central, I suspect, because 6 headers will want to unite to feed one turbo

heho07 wrote:Will 2014 exhaust position be just like 2012 position or it will be like current GP2 exhaust position?

Good question, but I think the single turbo and heat energy recovery will render 2 exhaust exits for aero purposes useless

sigh, theres goes racing....

Hamilton fuming, Vettel a 5 times WDC by end 2014

They still have to adapt the aerodynamics to the new engine. There will be development.

I think they should said:
"Changes made to bodywork design, originally aimed at reducing downforce and drag for increased efficiency, have reverted to 2013 specification" as we will not see any steped nose anymore.

heho07 wrote:I think they should said:
"Changes made to bodywork design, originally aimed at reducing downforce and drag for increased efficiency, have reverted to 2013 specification" as we will not see any steped nose anymore.

They actually will still be there; nothing has changed about that. The only difference is, is that teams are allowed to use a fairing to cover it. Essentially these are still 2012 rules.

Good news.

The cars would have been ridiculously slow with the small wings and V6 engines. I bet current GP2 machines would be faster than (most) F1 cars if the 2014 regulations came into play.

I'm sorry but F1 needs to maintain its speed. It can't keep on getting slower as then it starts to run into territory of lesser/inferior series.

I think most people are failing to see that. I think the FIA and teams realised how slow the cars would have been, so they scrapped the aero rules.