'Control Bodywork'?

D-Angle · 12 Jan 2007, 22:58 (Ref:1813705)

With all of these efforts to slow down teams and reduce costs, and the advent of a 'control tyre', it occured to me that maybe a similar idea could possibly be applied to the bodywork of an F1 car.

A lot of the problems in modern F1 can be attributed to aero. If all of the removeable body parts (nosecone, rear shell etc) were standardised and provided to teams from one supplier, to be attached to a team-developed monocoque, it could both reduce development costs and make the racing more competitive.

I don't know if it could work or not, especially since the FIA's last attempt at rear wing design, but it would certainly give more scope for reducing the 'dirty air' effect. Perhaps teams would have 2 choices for each body part, a high downforce version and a high straightline speed version?

Each team could pay a yearly contribution to aero development, giving the supplier possibly a bigger aero development budget than any of the teams on the grid at the moment, while reducing that cost for all teams. This would give smaller teams a chance to make their way up the grid. It might be a bit too near to a one-make series though.

What do others think?

Flat12-Aircool · 12 Jan 2007, 23:27 (Ref:1813722)

Bodywork should be free, within certain limits.

Maybe there is slightly too much downforce at the moment, but all these aero-mods help make the cars look distinctive from one another.

Too much is made of the so-called problem of "dirty air" as relating to overtaking IMO. I think the proposed energy storing devices will do more to help overtaking than any aero redesign. It'll be like years ago when drivers still had Turbo's they could turn-up in order to get past somebody.

Marbot · 13 Jan 2007, 11:48 (Ref:1813968)

We already have control tyres (about which there has been much debate),lets leave it at that shall we.

Rockmunky · 13 Jan 2007, 12:31 (Ref:1813982)

I don't think there should be a "control bodywork" as such, but, there should be rules on winglets, and number of things that redirect airflow to the rear wing.

Hopefully that should tidy up the car, and the air behind it.

SkaifeHRT · 13 Jan 2007, 13:16 (Ref:1814197)

No way, that's not what F1 is about.

Davhut · 13 Jan 2007, 15:08 (Ref:1814296)

Formula One should also not be about control tires, control rotors, control calipers, control engine, contro electronics, control gearboxes, control materials, control replacements....but it is, and it's not Formula One anymore. Shoud be renamed Formula Spec Car

zac510 · 13 Jan 2007, 15:50 (Ref:1814329)

Why do people constantly think that there is something wrong with F1 that needs to be fixed?

They also attribute these 'problems' to aerodynamics even though that is nothing more than heresay and they never have any data to prove the allegation!

JeremySmith · 13 Jan 2007, 17:59 (Ref:1814408)

Bad idea and not for me..

chillibowl · 13 Jan 2007, 18:03 (Ref:1814411)

Quote:

Originally Posted by zac510

Why do people constantly think that there is something wrong with F1 that needs to be fixed?

couldn't agree more

from my point of view there is substantially more right with the sport then there is wrong.

Pingguest · 13 Jan 2007, 18:06 (Ref:1814418)

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyn bott

We already have control tyres (about which there has been much debate),lets leave it at that shall we.

Well, the control tyre is just one step to a spec series, isn't it?

Marbot · 13 Jan 2007, 18:26 (Ref:1814425)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pingguest

Well, the control tyre is just one step to a spec series, isn't it?

Would it really irritate anyone if we found that all the teams were using the same make of sparkplugs?

JeremySmith · 13 Jan 2007, 18:58 (Ref:1814438)

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyn bott

Would it really irritate anyone if we found that all the teams were using the same make of sparkplugs?

Marbot · 13 Jan 2007, 19:10 (Ref:1814442)

Wouldn't it be interesting however,if say a sparkplug company developed a sparkplug that increased horsepower by 25%,and then decided to let Spyker have sole use of them.What a team! What a car! And what great drivers!

**Adam43** · 13 Jan 2007, 19:32 (Ref:1814449)

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyn bott

Would it really irritate anyone if we found that all the teams were using the same make of sparkplugs?

Not at all, but it would be irritating if the rules said that only one specific spark plug was allowed!

Oh and bodywork and tyres have more relative importance on car performance, your 25% thought notwithstanding.

Marbot · 13 Jan 2007, 20:09 (Ref:1814467)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

Not at all, but it would be irritating if the rules said that only one specific spark plug was allowed!

Who reads the rules anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

Oh and bodywork and tyres have more relative importance on car performance, your 25% thought notwithstanding.

This is true,and also sad.Now it's all hands to the wind tunnel!

25% was just off the top of my head.It could be 100%,but then it would be banned wouldn't it.

I can understand why a tyre technician would now no longer bother to watch F1.

Armco Bender · 13 Jan 2007, 20:18 (Ref:1814473)

F1 cars should be going faster not slower.
Control is for Formula Fords.

Marbot · 13 Jan 2007, 20:31 (Ref:1814481)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

F1 cars should be going faster not slower.
Control is for Formula Fords.

F1 cars can go a lot faster.V12 5 litre engines (why stop at 5 litres and V12's?),ABS,EBD,ESP,TC,AS etc,etc.Problem is that the drivers would black out at the first corner,and it would no longer be a spectator sport.

There has to be control somewhere!

Armco Bender · 13 Jan 2007, 20:41 (Ref:1814488)

Quote:

Problem is that the drivers would black out at the first corner,and it would no longer be a spectator sport.

Lot of people would pay good money to watch that.

Marbot · 13 Jan 2007, 20:42 (Ref:1814489)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

Lot of people would pay good money to watch that.

From a distance.

You're not likely to hear an F1 car designer say "We can't make it any faster,we're losing too many drivers!"

Armco Bender · 13 Jan 2007, 20:52 (Ref:1814497)

Time for F1 to go like A1 then and have total control.If F1 isn't going to be free for all then you may as well have total control cars and sell them all off as a franchise.

JeremySmith · 13 Jan 2007, 21:21 (Ref:1814513)

It is not the speed of the cars that is the problem is it?

**ScotsBrutesFan** · 13 Jan 2007, 22:14 (Ref:1814555)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

It is not the speed of the cars that is the problem is it?

No it's getting them to run close enough to one another that they can overtake.....and I don't mean going down the pitlane on the limiter.

JeremySmith · 13 Jan 2007, 22:27 (Ref:1814564)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

No it's getting them to run close enough to one another that they can overtake.....and I don't mean going down the pitlane on the limiter.

I could not agree more with you more...How they the "experts" achieve this, well that is for them to know and implement for heavens sake...

D-Angle · 14 Jan 2007, 00:33 (Ref:1814616)

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyn bott

F1 cars can go a lot faster.V12 5 litre engines (why stop at 5 litres and V12's?),ABS,EBD,ESP,TC,AS etc,etc.Problem is that the drivers would black out at the first corner,and it would no longer be a spectator sport.

The drivers wouldn't black out, as at that point they would be in the pits twiddling a remote control!

1200Datto27 · 14 Jan 2007, 08:04 (Ref:1814687)

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyn bott

Problem is that the drivers would black out at the first corner

You could say that a number of drivers already do that.

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