[Team] 8 teams with three cars?

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Yannick

And it wouldn't even be the only series in which they are the default chassis manufacturer: IndyCar is another.

Dallara are the chassis builder for Indycar, GP2, Japanese Superformula, F3....

Building formula race cars is now such a specialised and expensive business it has strangled most series with the result that spec series are the only way to go.

None of it has actually helped open wheel racing at all.

The result has been a decline in chassis builders, reducing competition amongst providers and an enormous increase in cost, all of which makes open wheel racing more expensive than it needs to be.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Building formula race cars is now such a specialised and expensive business it has strangled most series with the result that spec series are the only way to go.

Ban carbon fibre and all composites

I was talking to a mate of mine the other day who is into sailing 18 footers on Sydney Harbour. They built a new hull and had to send it to the US for autoclaving due to no facilities in Australia. It show that most speed based sports are having a cost problem due to composites and carbon fibre. The only thing good about the CF chassis is it is much safer in the event of an accident.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Having a default chassis comes with its own problems, which is why IndyCar are introducing aero-kits as from next season, in order to instill some visual variety.

It will be interesting to see how the aero kits affect the equality of the IndyCar field BJ. I believe the aero kits will ruin the racing!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wnut

It will be interesting to see how the aero kits affect the equality of the IndyCar field BJ. I believe the aero kits will ruin the racing!

There's a long way to go and they won't be using them in the season opener in Brazilia and the concern, whether one kit dominates over an other, has been mentioned. Anyway it will be interesting.

[miatanut]

Originally Posted by Casper

Ban carbon fibre and all composites

I was talking to a mate of mine the other day who is into sailing 18 footers on Sydney Harbour. They built a new hull and had to send it to the US for autoclaving due to no facilities in Australia. It show that most speed based sports are having a cost problem due to composites and carbon fibre. The only thing good about the CF chassis is it is much safer in the event of an accident.

LMPC's cost around $400,000 and they are carbon fiber. While $400,000 is not chump change for most folks, relative to F1 budgets it is.

The problem with F1 budgets is things like building oodles of carbon fiber front wing assemblies, most of which never race.

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by Casper

Ban carbon fibre and all composites

I was talking to a mate of mine the other day who is into sailing 18 footers on Sydney Harbour. They built a new hull and had to send it to the US for autoclaving due to no facilities in Australia. It show that most speed based sports are having a cost problem due to composites and carbon fibre. The only thing good about the CF chassis is it is much safer in the event of an accident.

Your mate must have missed out on doing some research.
Australian firms are leading the world in carbon fibre technology. Why are the Americans getting so much of their aviation work done here?
The very latest technology is abandoning autoclaves for more advanced layup and cure processes, partly because of the size and complexity of some aviation structure and partly because of the size of production runs.
Maybe the autoclaves in Sydney were just too busy that week?