There is a constant battle between Formula One car designers who are trying to create cars with more downforce and the sports governing body, the FIA who are trying to limit the amount that aerodynamics can help stick a car to the tracks surface. Designers and engineers want to have as much downforce as possible because the more the air pushes a car onto the tarmac the faster it can negotiate corners. The rule makers need to keep cornering speeds within certain limits to ensure the drivers and spectators safety.
The way the FIA have gone about reducing downforce is by limiting the size and design of the cars wings and bodywork as well as banning devices such as sliding skirts in the 1980's and, to be outlawed for next season, the blown diffuser. This constant banning of devices on the car and regulating of the car design has stifled innovation, especially the type of innovation visible to the spectator. All the cars have been regulated to the extent that they look almost identical, with only their liveries differentiating them from one another. It's making Formula One look almost like a spec series where all the competitors run the same cars.
A solution I can see that would allow more innovation and variety of design is not limiting the aerodynamic devices but by limiting the amount of downforce they produce. All you'd need is a wind tunnel at each race with scales in it to weigh the cars. The amount of downforce being produced could then be measured by the weight being exerted on the scales when air is blown over the car in the wind tunnel. A limit could be set of say 500kg of downforce at 300kmh. That would mean that whatever the car design looks like and however many and what size of wings it has, it won't be legal if it creates more than the specified amount of downforce. Teams would not be allowed to make any changes to the cars during practice, qualifying and race sessions. After each practice and qualifying session each car could be tested in the wind tunnel to see how much downforce it is generating. As cars are in parc-ferme between qualifying and the race there would be no need to re-test all the cars after the race, maybe just a random selection of finishers. Obviously a wind tunnel would need to be taken to each race, I'm sure that's no huge logistical problem though.
I think a rule like this would mean the aerodynamic and bodywork regulations could be relaxed and once again we'd see Formula One cars that don't look like they all came out of the same mould. Grand Prix cars shouldn't all look the same, we want to see identifiably different cars racing each other. There are already enough spec series going on, Formula One needs to set itself apart from these and be a place where innovation is possible and visible.
The way the FIA have gone about reducing downforce is by limiting the size and design of the cars wings and bodywork as well as banning devices such as sliding skirts in the 1980's and, to be outlawed for next season, the blown diffuser. This constant banning of devices on the car and regulating of the car design has stifled innovation, especially the type of innovation visible to the spectator. All the cars have been regulated to the extent that they look almost identical, with only their liveries differentiating them from one another. It's making Formula One look almost like a spec series where all the competitors run the same cars.
A solution I can see that would allow more innovation and variety of design is not limiting the aerodynamic devices but by limiting the amount of downforce they produce. All you'd need is a wind tunnel at each race with scales in it to weigh the cars. The amount of downforce being produced could then be measured by the weight being exerted on the scales when air is blown over the car in the wind tunnel. A limit could be set of say 500kg of downforce at 300kmh. That would mean that whatever the car design looks like and however many and what size of wings it has, it won't be legal if it creates more than the specified amount of downforce. Teams would not be allowed to make any changes to the cars during practice, qualifying and race sessions. After each practice and qualifying session each car could be tested in the wind tunnel to see how much downforce it is generating. As cars are in parc-ferme between qualifying and the race there would be no need to re-test all the cars after the race, maybe just a random selection of finishers. Obviously a wind tunnel would need to be taken to each race, I'm sure that's no huge logistical problem though.
I think a rule like this would mean the aerodynamic and bodywork regulations could be relaxed and once again we'd see Formula One cars that don't look like they all came out of the same mould. Grand Prix cars shouldn't all look the same, we want to see identifiably different cars racing each other. There are already enough spec series going on, Formula One needs to set itself apart from these and be a place where innovation is possible and visible.
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