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Concerning the show: I always felt DRS was adressing the right problem with the right concept but with the wrong solution. The car wake decreasing downforce of the following car is something that really needs to be adressed, however trying to loosely compensate that by decreasing drag on the straights never made sense, since at that very same point there is no real issue.

The Front Wing Flap adjuster was an idea in the right direction, but underestimated how serious the car wake really is. I don't think that bringing it back will help since front wings just become more and more sensitive year after year. Moreover, it does not help that the one in front can do the same, despite not being in someone else's wake.

My idea is to take the DRS concept, reverse it to adding downforce instead of reduction drag (DIS: Downforce Increasing System), apply it in the corners (detection point at the speed trap and activation point in the braking zone?) and deactivate it on the straights. That would solve the issue directly. It will take more detection and activation points, but the tech is already there for that. The driver should still make the conscious choice to activate it since he needs to be aware the extra downforce is applied. That would effectively solve the issue in a very direct way.

Leaves the question: where to apply the extra downforce and how? As I explained, the front wing is a poor choice. I was thinking about the power of ground effect; why not put collapsable&retractable rubber skirts at the edges of the floor? it would seal the floor's edges, increasing ground effect and increase downforce right at the center of the car.

I think this would satisfy a lot of purists, since they as said the issue is directly tackled instead of loosely compensated. It would also very much benefit wheel to wheel action, since even if the chasing car has more cornering speed, overtaking in corners is very challenging (and a delight to watch when it happens!) and while the chasing car would exit the corners much closer to the car in front, he will not blast-by that easily anymore, having only the slip stream to crawl closer. - See more at: http://somersf1.blogspot.be/2015/04/str ... BXWBe.dpuf

ESPImperium wrote:I am with Matt Somers to a point. I do believe that the front wings should be a lot more simpler, id limit the amount of elements that can have, id limit them to 4 elements, no Red Bull 8 or 9 elements. As for the wing adjust, id follow the same rules as 2009, but with a tweak, allow the Front Flap Adjust to adjust 2 elements by up to 2 degrees twice per lap. So in essence you can increase the flap up once and down once. You can then increase it to close the gap, but also decrease it to manage your tyres as well. It should be a driver tool to manage the car.

As for DRS, it should be a attack/defend tool, but used strategically in the race. I have always been an advocate that the drivers need to be limited in time to the amount of use they can get from it. DRS zones can stay for safety, but the one second behind thing can go as it is useless. Ive always said 300 seconds, as thats 20 laps you can use it, if its 15 seconds a lap you use it. It should be used to attack and defend as well.

Those are the two areas id be looking at, active aero should be just on the wings, no where else.

Give the cars more downforce yes, like a increase on the diffuser height with a standardised central section like the front wing, same with a re introduction of the beam wing, but with a standard central section. That should sort the rear issues out, as for the front, make the front wings slightly wider, id say 500mm each side and it would be ideal. The cascades would be limited as well, id make it illegal for them to join on to the end plates. Also increase the nose height, not by much, again 500mm would be enough. That should sort most issues out, however the bulkhead should be again decreased in height by 300mm on both top side and 400mm on the floor side.

Thats enough aero change, the cars would then have more than enough downforce to make them at least 2 seconds faster, all that would be needed is a increase in mechanical grip, a reduction in weight and one or two areas to make the cars another 3 seconds a lap quicker for 2017.

natehall wrote:

ESPImperium wrote:I am with Matt Somers to a point. I do believe that the front wings should be a lot more simpler, id limit the amount of elements that can have, id limit them to 4 elements, no Red Bull 8 or 9 elements. As for the wing adjust, id follow the same rules as 2009, but with a tweak, allow the Front Flap Adjust to adjust 2 elements by up to 2 degrees twice per lap. So in essence you can increase the flap up once and down once. You can then increase it to close the gap, but also decrease it to manage your tyres as well. It should be a driver tool to manage the car.

As for DRS, it should be a attack/defend tool, but used strategically in the race. I have always been an advocate that the drivers need to be limited in time to the amount of use they can get from it. DRS zones can stay for safety, but the one second behind thing can go as it is useless. Ive always said 300 seconds, as thats 20 laps you can use it, if its 15 seconds a lap you use it. It should be used to attack and defend as well.

Those are the two areas id be looking at, active aero should be just on the wings, no where else.

Give the cars more downforce yes, like a increase on the diffuser height with a standardised central section like the front wing, same with a re introduction of the beam wing, but with a standard central section. That should sort the rear issues out, as for the front, make the front wings slightly wider, id say 500mm each side and it would be ideal. The cascades would be limited as well, id make it illegal for them to join on to the end plates. Also increase the nose height, not by much, again 500mm would be enough. That should sort most issues out, however the bulkhead should be again decreased in height by 300mm on both top side and 400mm on the floor side.

Thats enough aero change, the cars would then have more than enough downforce to make them at least 2 seconds faster, all that would be needed is a increase in mechanical grip, a reduction in weight and one or two areas to make the cars another 3 seconds a lap quicker for 2017.

Im not usually one to be nitpicky, but your looking to increase the dimensions of the car the following:

width of the front wing 500mm either side, or 1000mm/100cm/1m total
increasing the nose height by 500mm/50cm/.5M
reducing the bulkhead hight by 300mm/30cm/.3m..

All this on a car 1800mm/180cm/1.8m wide by 950mm/95cm/.95m tall..

Have you got your dimensions wrong?

tuj wrote:Would a significant change to the AoA or perhaps to specific elements of the front wing help the trailing car recover it's downforce? Or is the wake problem too great?

ESPImperium wrote: Im not usually one to be nitpicky, but your looking to increase the dimensions of the car the following:

width of the front wing 500mm either side, or 1000mm/100cm/1m total
increasing the nose height by 500mm/50cm/.5M
reducing the bulkhead hight by 300mm/30cm/.3m..

All this on a car 1800mm/180cm/1.8m wide by 950mm/95cm/.95m tall..

Have you got your dimensions wrong?

bhall II wrote: From an aerodynamic standpoint, the most you can really do is reset the regulations every once in a while to restart that process.