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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Teams Reject 2013 Rule Changes

From a story on the BBC website.  It seems as if everyone on the Grid has decided that Luca was right (Hi Luca - isn't it nice to be right? Again?) when he had a go at the 2013 rule changes.  They've voted to reject the proposed design alterations as being too radical and thus too costly and have put forward a less substantive list of acceptable aero changes which include:
  • a front wing of reduced width, down from from 1800mm to 1650mm
  • a much shallower rear wing, similar to those used at the high-speed Monza track
  • significantly lower noses on the cars to improve safety, although the exact maximum height has still to be determined
  • the retention of the moveable rear wing - or drag-reduction system (DRS) - that was introduced this season to make overtaking a little easier
  • a restriction on all the extra pieces of bodywork that have sprouted in front of the sidepods of the cars
  • a restriction on the design of front-wing endplates, to limit the intricate designs seen today
This way the teams protect the current engine spec - which suits Ferrari - and ensure that they don't have to design the shaped floor which Sam Michael, credited as Tech Director of Williams, says will cost far too much. I thought he'd fallen on his sword!?!

Anyway, this may well be the proverbial sop to Cerebus which keeps Ferrari in the F1 fold until the renegotiation of the Concorde Agreement in 2012.

Speaking of which...who would really want to buy F1 from CVC in 2011 when they may well lose control of the teams in 2013? Can anyone explain this to me? Please?