Quote:
Originally Posted by chillibowl
would it be possible to take a set of regulations from a prior season (year doesnt really matter for this question but for sure some years had 'better' regs/racing than others but for arguments sake lets just say 1989) and told the teams that these will again be the regs for 2019...would that work, how would that work, would it actually create something more sound then we have today?
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I didn't quote your entire post, and some of my feedback below you did acknowledge as being a problem. But here are my thoughts...
IMHO, putting safety content aside, there are generally two major areas in the technical regulations. First is the basic chassis and the other is the engine. I think on the chassis side, it may be hard to pick a prior year (or even decades ago) and give it a go. Because I believe today's regulations are an evolution of the prior starting points but with various exclusions and clarifications. So as an extreme example, if you go too far back then you will have teams doing active aero, fan cars, ground effect skirts, etc. All stuff that the newer regulations have banned. So the idea doesn't work if you are trying to create a car from a given era "before" someone exploited the rules to create innovation X, Y or Z.
The second is engine regulations. I think those have probably been more heavily reworked over the years. So those might be more successful to try using the idea you mention. But you will still run into similar problems in that those regulations were fine until someone did something that caused problems. For example using exotic and expensive materials (which were eventually banned).
Basically it all boils down to my comment that the designers can't unlearn what they already know. Drop a current, but merely "capable" designer back into F1 of a number of decades ago (via time-machine), and he would trounce everyone else on track. The car would be radical in comparison to it's peers and this would just be on pure knowledge alone (meaning using construction capabilities of the destination era). For example, image current aero "knowledge" dropped into mid-1960's F1.
In short, reverting back to mid-1960's regulations is not going to result in a bunch of Eagle Mk1 clones.
Quote:
Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks
An aerodynamic restriction would be a good place to start: restrict the front wing even further than 2019 rules, ban slots in the floor, clean up the bargeboard area (perhaps just ban bodywork being there altogether!), remove the rear wheel winglets that purport to be "brake ducts" etc.
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Agree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks
Should the regulator detune these hugely complicated power units too [I would suggest joining two of the current 1.6 V6 ICEs together to make a 3.2 V12  , the lean combustion stuff like turbulent jet injection can be kept as it has already been developed ]? |
I generally agree. I think they are trying to ratchet back the complexity, but manufactures love the current solutions.
I will say that your two images show quite a contrast between now and then, but make no mistake (and I am sure you know this), even "simple" modern bespoke race engines are not quite the thing of beauty as they were decades ago. They will have a semi-ugly airbox and complex intake system, multiple sensors, wiring looms and fuel rails covering the engine, etc. For example below is the spec Gibson 4.2L NA V8 used for LMP2. Its still a good looking engine, but not quite Cosworth DFV or Weslake V12 pretty.
Quote:
Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks
Or do fans love the complicated power units and complicated aero? To lose them, would be to damage F1!?  |
Some do. Most probably don't. I do firmly believe that you can dumb down F1 too much.
Richard