The publication today of the FIA’s budget cap plan for 2010 shows it intends to get every team competing under the spending limit. Rather than offering technical regulation that would allow cost-capped teams to compete on parity with the unlimited spenders, it seems to me the rules for next year would favour those sticking to … Continue reading FIA aims to get all teams to cap budgets using one-sided regulations
F1 Technology articles archive
F1 technology
How new rules will change 2010 F1 cars
Posted onThe FIA has announced further details of changes to F1’s technical rules for 2010. Chief among these is the widely-expected banning of refuelling and tyre warmers. The minimum weight of the cars is also being increased from 605kg to 620kg, and there are revisions to the rules governing KERS. How are these changes, together with … Continue reading How new rules will change 2010 F1 cars
Tyre compounds for next four races
Posted onBridgestone has announced what tyres the teams will used at the Monaco, Turkish, British and German Grands Prix. At Monaco the tyre supplier will break with its 2009 policy of using tyres that are two stages apart, bringing the soft and super-soft compounds as it did in 2008. It will revert to type at Istanbul … Continue reading Tyre compounds for next four races
The diffuser controversy explained (Video)
Posted onHere’s an excellent video from Speed TV’s Steve Matchett explaining the diffuser controversy in detail, with some fascinating close-ups of the three controversial cars: This video was published before today’s appeal court ruling which decided that the diffusers used by Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota are legal.
FIA to rule on legality of Brawn, Williams and Toyota diffusers (Poll)
Posted onThe FIA International Court of Appeal will today finally rule on whether the ‘double decker’ diffusers used by Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams are legal.
2009 F1 cars quicker than in 2008
Posted onSpeed is part of the essential attraction of Formula 1. But containing the ever-escalating cornering speeds of F1 cars has been a major goal of the FIA for safety reasons. The new rules introduced for 2009 were not just aimed at improving the spectacle of the racing in F1, they were also intended to keep … Continue reading 2009 F1 cars quicker than in 2008
F1’s overtaking problem solved?
Posted onThe first two races of 2009 are in the books, giving us our first chance to see if the radical new regulations designed to increase overtaking have had the desired effect. So far the signs are good – but will it last?
Technical review: Australia and Malaysia
Posted onF1 Fanatic guest writer John Beamer examines the technical changes and controversies over the first two races of 2009. Formula 1 never changes. We’re not even two races in and controversy continues to rage around the paddock – as it has done so every year since 1954 and will do so until we humans are … Continue reading Technical review: Australia and Malaysia
Diffuser row set to drag on
Posted onBrawn GP, Williams and Toyota’s diffusers have been given the all-clear by the stewards in Melbourne. But Ferrari, BMW, Renault and Red Bull are intending to protest the decision. This means a Court of Appeal hearing into the legality of the parts will have to be held, most likely in the week after the Malaysian … Continue reading Diffuser row set to drag on
Heikki Kovalainen on slicks in F1 (Video)
Posted onIn these two videos McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and Bridgestone’s Hirohide Hamashima explain what impact the new slick tyres will have on F1 racing this year: Read more F1 2009 technology: front wing F1 2009 technology: Mid-region F1 2009 Technology: Rear wings, diffusers – and the inevitable controversy
F1 2009 Technology: Rear wings, diffusers – and the inevitable controversy
Posted onAs we head into the first race of 2009 a row is brewing over the diffusers used by Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP. F1 Fanatic guest writer John Beamer takes a look at the diffuser row and offers his thoughts on what’s gone wrong at McLaren. Hands up who finds that rear wing attractive? Uh… … Continue reading F1 2009 Technology: Rear wings, diffusers – and the inevitable controversy
F1 2009: New rules at a glance
Posted onThe 2009 season sees the introduction of the most radical new rules to hit F1 in a generation. Here’s a quick guide to the major changes in the sporting and technical rules, including some potentially significant tweaks which haven’t had much attention.
F1 2009 technology: Mid-region
Posted onF1 Fanatic guest writer John Beamer continues his technical analysis of the 2009 F1 cars with a look at the mid-section of this year’s designs. When comparing a 2008 and 2009 F1 car the wider front wing and squashed rear wing are the most dramatic changes. Look closely again and one can see equally striking … Continue reading F1 2009 technology: Mid-region
F1 2009 technology: front wing
Posted onF1 Fanatic guest writer John Beamer looks at the technology of the 2009 F1 cars, starting with those eye-catching front wings. Contrary to what many feared a few months ago, 2009 will be a bonanza for F1 technical aficionados. The lower (and flatter)?�?�front wing, higher nose and deletion of various aerodynamic paraphernalia circling the chassis … Continue reading F1 2009 technology: front wing
Jarno Trulli explains the TF109 (Video)
Posted onJarno Trulli explains how the 2009 technical regulations shaped the design of the TF109 in this video from Toyota.
Will slicks put brakes under more stress?
Posted onOne aspect of the 2009 rules I’m trying to get my ahead is how the return to slick tyres and the introduction of KERS might affect brakes. If my shaky grasp if F1 technology is right, I reckon brakes will have a seriously hard time in 2009. Check my working below.
Should KERS be put back to 2010? (Poll)
Posted onBMW is under pressure to abandon its opposition to a delay on the introduction of Kinetic Energy Reduction Systems (KERS). Luca di Montezemolo, Flavio Briatore and John Howett representing Ferrari, Renault and Toyota have all spoken in favour of postponing the introduction of KERS until 2010.
2009 F1 car comparisons: BMW
Posted onBMW’s F1.09 is the last new F1 car we’ll see this month. Here’s a look at the car BMW hope to challenge for the championships with up alongside the other 2009 models.
2009 F1 car comparisons: Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Williams and Toyota
Posted onHalf of the 2009 F1 grid has now been launched providing us with some insight into the different design directions taken by likely front-runners of 2009. Here’s how the freshly-launched Renault R29 and Williams FW31 compare to the Ferrari, McLaren and Toyota that appeared last week.
How the F1 rules changes for 2009 are meant to improve racing (part 3/3)
Posted onF1 Fanatic guest writer John Beamer concludes his review of changes in the 2009 F1 rules designed to allow cars to follow each other more closely and encourage overtaking.