2020 FORMULA 1 SEASON

[hans611]

This is true, but there are regulations that restrict teams from abusing this too much. Skid plates on the floor to ensure the car isn't too low at heavy aero loads. Deflection tests that the scrutineers perform to ensure that the front wings and various cantilevered aero elements don't flex outside of spec. The teams aren't allowed to really use flexible aero components to their advantage. Not like some of the neat active aero we're seeing on supercars. I think it was the Ferrari 458 that had a pair of splitters that, IIRC, got pushed down at high speeds and allowed more air to flow ~somewhere~ (I don't remember where).

Yes it was the 458! They called it the "Flex splitter"

What happened to McLaren's 3rd pedal? I forgot exactly why they stopped using it. Ferrari's F-duct was deemed unsafe, since it had to be enabled by the driver's hand.
Nice, I'm glad DRS is supposed to be dropped. It always felt a bit artificial. It was a nice strategy element, and drivers could let their dogfights culminate in a DRS zone. But I wanna see more creativity in overtakes.

Apparently the 3rd pedal was eventually banned..... "It was banned on the basis of four-wheel steering, although obviously it was not realigning the wheels,” says Goss. “We called it brake-steer, which was unfortunate when we tried to argue that it wasn’t anything to do with steering! It was a bad choice of name from ourselves."

From the Horse's mouth: https://www.mclaren.com/racing/inside-the-mtc/mclaren-extra-pedal-3153421/

Yea, the F duct was nice when all they did was rest their knee in the hole.... Once Alonso started driving one handed they felt the need to drop it...

Can't say that I watch Indy. I was only interested a couple of years ago since Alonso was trying to win it. I heard he's trying again, and wanting to race a full season. Wouldn't that be insane if he won the INDY car championship? That would take the Triple Crown to a ridiculous level. One F1 WDC, one WEC WDC and one INDY WDC.

Apparently Honda blocked his Indy dreams ... "Agrh GP2 Engine GP2!"

Edit:

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-mercedes-das-system-is-legal/4689414/
Oh this article came out being more specific about the FIA position, apparently it complies with 10.2.3 because its a steering system, not suspension lol

That while.... "Article 10.4.1 of the technical regulations states: 'Any steering system which permits the re-alignment of more than two wheels is not permitted.' With the Mercedes system only adjusting the toe of the front wheels, then that is fully in compliance."

Just realigning the wheels inward/outward = Steering? .....haha, its gonna be good

Reports from Sky TV Italy saying the teams are lawyering up, and its gonna be the "movable aero" defense after all....

 

[torga]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-mercedes-das-system-is-legal/4689414/
Oh this article came out being more specific about the FIA position, apparently it complies with 10.2.3 because its a steering system, not suspension lol

That while.... "Article 10.4.1 of the technical regulations states: 'Any steering system which permits the re-alignment of more than two wheels is not permitted.' With the Mercedes system only adjusting the toe of the front wheels, then that is fully in compliance."

Just realigning the wheels inward/outward = Steering? .....haha, its gonna be good

Reports from Sky TV Italy saying the teams are lawyering up, and its gonna be the "movable aero" defense after all....

While adjusting the toe in or out shouldn't be steering, it is absolutely a propulsion method. French fry... pizza... french fry... pizza...

All Merc boys have to do on the straights is pump the steering wheel in and out at a tempo of 100-120 BPM (they can hum Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees if they wish), and this Ski Thrust™ that Merc have come up with is good for at least 15kph on the straight. It's a major advantage and the other teams have a fair right to be displeased.

 

[hans611]

So.... it is a copy-paste... from pictures....

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...20-after-mercedes.41SgWpnq6ytiHOAMvTCr8x.html
So, is this new RP20 a copy-paste job?

“I can tell you absolutely, categorically all those designs are Racing Point from absolute scratch, there has been no transfer of information on listed parts from Mercedes. They have never contemplated it, we have never asked for it,” stressed Green.

“What you see [on the RP20] is what people have drawn from looking at pictures of Mercedes. We've utilised what we can see. There’s other teams taking pictures. There's a pit lane full of photographers employed by the teams to take pictures of other peoples’ teams. All we did was utilise that information.”

Also, DAS banned for next year:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148357/dualaxis-steering-wont-be-allowed-in-2021-rules
Article 10.5 of F1's incoming technical regulations states: "The realignment of the steered wheels, as defined by the position of the inboard attachment of the relevant suspensions members that remain a fixed distance from each other, must be uniquely defined by a monotonic function of the rotational position of a single steering wheel."

Translation: The wheels' alignment can only be altered by turning the steering wheel, and only by turning it.

 

[torga]

So.... it is a copy-paste... from pictures....

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...20-after-mercedes.41SgWpnq6ytiHOAMvTCr8x.html
So, is this new RP20 a copy-paste job?

“I can tell you absolutely, categorically all those designs are Racing Point from absolute scratch, there has been no transfer of information on listed parts from Mercedes. They have never contemplated it, we have never asked for it,” stressed Green.

“What you see [on the RP20] is what people have drawn from looking at pictures of Mercedes. We've utilised what we can see. There’s other teams taking pictures. There's a pit lane full of photographers employed by the teams to take pictures of other peoples’ teams. All we did was utilise that information.”

It's painfully obvious what they did. Just because you made something from scratch doesn't mean you didn't copy it. I can make a delicious dinner from scratch, but I can't say it's my own if I followed a recipe to the letter, now can I?

Also, DAS banned for next year:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148357/dualaxis-steering-wont-be-allowed-in-2021-rules
Article 10.5 of F1's incoming technical regulations states: "The realignment of the steered wheels, as defined by the position of the inboard attachment of the relevant suspensions members that remain a fixed distance from each other, must be uniquely defined by a monotonic function of the rotational position of a single steering wheel."

Translation: The wheels' alignment can only be altered by turning the steering wheel, and only by turning it.

Welp, if you don't get a rule made because of you, you're doing F1 design wrong! Good on the Merc team for doing something so innovative. I'm honestly surprised the FIA isn't banning it for the 2020 season, since they made a rule so quickly.

 

[BoostedVW11]

So.... it is a copy-paste... from pictures....

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...20-after-mercedes.41SgWpnq6ytiHOAMvTCr8x.html
So, is this new RP20 a copy-paste job?

“I can tell you absolutely, categorically all those designs are Racing Point from absolute scratch, there has been no transfer of information on listed parts from Mercedes. They have never contemplated it, we have never asked for it,” stressed Green.

“What you see [on the RP20] is what people have drawn from looking at pictures of Mercedes. We've utilised what we can see. There’s other teams taking pictures. There's a pit lane full of photographers employed by the teams to take pictures of other peoples’ teams. All we did was utilise that information.”

Also, DAS banned for next year:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/148357/dualaxis-steering-wont-be-allowed-in-2021-rules
Article 10.5 of F1's incoming technical regulations states: "The realignment of the steered wheels, as defined by the position of the inboard attachment of the relevant suspensions members that remain a fixed distance from each other, must be uniquely defined by a monotonic function of the rotational position of a single steering wheel."

Translation: The wheels' alignment can only be altered by turning the steering wheel, and only by turning it.

So let me get this straight, they found a loophole to get around the rules? and the FIA is going to allow it for this season, but ban it next season? Did i read that correctly?

 

[torga]

So let me get this straight, they found a loophole to get around the rules? and the FIA is going to allow it for this season, but ban it next season? Did i read that correctly?

Yep, and it's not the first time this has happened either. Oftentimes the tech in question is banned mid-season.

 

[hans611]

It's painfully obvious what they did. Just because you made something from scratch doesn't mean you didn't copy it. I can make a delicious dinner from scratch, but I can't say it's my own if I followed a recipe to the letter, now can I?

Yeah, exactly.....I hope they didn't botch it, because airflow is a very random and difficult thing to anticipate, CFD is very hard to do, if the car is off by a bit, it can have dire consequences down the car, causing all sorts of trouble, flow separation, etc...

But... now a days, the camera quality is so good, you can get super detailed images... they may do some 3d modelling to help? We will see..... its got the 2020 Mercedes engine with the 2019 Merc gearbox... let see what kind of lap times it does over the year compared the the W10....

Welp, if you don't get a rule made because of you, you're doing F1 design wrong! Good on the Merc team for doing something so innovative. I'm honestly surprised the FIA isn't banning it for the 2020 season, since they made a rule so quickly.

I feel like the FIA usually gives them a year to harvest the fruits of their innovation..... unless its unsafe. Its up to the other teams to copy it, the clock starts now... worth it for just 2020? Thats the game of F1.... like double diffusers with Brawn GP in 2009, the Mclaren F duct in 2010, the Red Bull off-throttle blown diffusers in 2011.... Mercedes Double DRS in 2012.... Lotus with FRIC (Front-Rear interlinked suspension) in 2013.... All 1 year haha

 

[BoostedVW11]

Testing is live right now btw

 

[hans611]

Testing is live right now btw

Yes sir, bought F1 TV for this season yesterday..... 25% off during testing.. Watching when i can haha

 

[BoostedVW11]

Yes sir, bought F1 TV for this season yesterday..... 25% off during testing.. Watching when i can haha

Might buy F1 TV later in the season

7 days till Drive To Survive season 2 on Netflix

 

[CarlosCanizares]

I feel like the FIA usually gives them a year... unless its unsafe....

Not true. It took 4 years to ”ban” Crashtor Maldonado ?

 

[torga]

After a chance with Andretti fell through, McLaren is gonna give Alonso another seat for Indianapolis.

https://www.racefans.net/2020/02/25/alonso-mclaren-indianapolis-500-return/

 

[vbrad26]

Good.
I know people have mixed opinions of Alonso, but personally I'm glad to see he found a ride.

 

[torga]

Good.
I know people have mixed opinions of Alonso, but personally I'm glad to see he found a ride.

Almost every single top driver has something bad/controversial about them. You don't have that kind of drive to be the best of the best with a white bread, peaches & cream personality.
Alonso is among my favorite drivers and I've been following his escapades since he retired from F1.

 

[BoostedVW11]

i missed alonso in his prime, didnt get into f1 till a few years ago. lame.


Speaking of drive to survive....iirc i think its f1 thread rules to watch 1 episode at a time each day and discuss with other members first before watching the next one. Could be wrong though.