FIA announce aero research plan 02 Sep 2005
Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, is to carry out a research programme aimed at producing aerodynamic regulations that will allow for closer racing and more overtaking.
Rule changes introduced at the start of this season cut downforce levels significantly through restrictions on bodywork dimensions. However, the teams quickly clawed back the losses with the use of intricate fins and mini wings, which, ironically, seem to have made it even harder for drivers to run close to the car in front.
This led to FIA President Max Mosley suggesting a whole new approach to regulating aerodynamics, whereby the rules would include a specific level of downforce which the cars must not exceed.
And on Friday, along with the FIA’s new technology partners AMD, he announced plans to use one of the world’s most powerful computers to run complex computational fluid dynamics models, in order to help develop such regulations.
The move follows the FIA’s online Formula One survey earlier this year, in which 94 percent of respondents said they wanted to see more overtaking.
In light of the survey’s findings, along with discussions with the teams, the FIA is now working on revisions to the 2008 Formula One Technical Regulations, which will be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council for approval in October.
