2012 Predictions / Driver Line-up / News etc...

Even Whiting said thats not enforcable. You can't avoid exhaust gases getting used for aero the way it is now. Therefore you would have to move the exhaust ending far beyond the back wheels.

 

That's not artificially blowing though, which is what has been reported, is it?

 

The Sauber has a grove to help the negative pressure pull the exhaust gasses to the diffuser and the Ferrari are blatantly blowing their exhaust at aerodynamically crafted bits. The problem is all the teams know how much use the exhaust can be so they're going to push it as far as possible to get a advantage.
The question is who's borderline legal design is the best (and actually legal )

That said the Red Bull sounds like its 2011 blowing still whilst the others aren't really "farting" into the corners.

 

​An entire grove?

 

Yup, right next to the groove, you can just make it out

 

When I first heard they'd changed the exhaust rules I'd assumed that this is what they'd done, as it was pretty obvious that otherwise the exhaust would be used for rear downforce, they've banned 'exotic' engine mappings, but what actually defines 'exotic'? Does this means that some engine mappings are ok, and that if you work to the maximum allowed and improve on the original idea to make it more efficient, you could still have an EBD comparable to last seasons?

 

Ferrari, Red Bull change final F1 test plans

 

Ya, i thought so too.
I guess "exotic" means especially no "hot-blowing" at all allowed. For "cold-blowing", which is pretty regular for an engine, its a bit more complex. My feeling is that there might be a maximum percentage of open valve time at less than full-throttle, which "exotic cold-blowing mappings" exceeded.

 

WHEEEEYYYY HRT have finally passed the crash tests!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97693

 

Buuuuuuuuut they're only going to get 2 days' worth of testing done at best. When you consider that Lotus and Mercedes were allowed to apply for private testing, why can't HRT do the same??

 

Perhaps they can but if not I would think it was because they did not take part at all in this weeks test.

 

I honestly doubt HRT's ability to organise I private test. If they can't get the car ready for Thursday, I can't see them arranging a venue and getting the car there between the final test and the first race. Ferrari and Red Bull will finish in Barcelona on the 5th, they have to be in Melbourne on the 15th. It's a narrow window to arrange something in.

 

There'll also be a significant cost to private testing, won't there? Mercedes would have borne the whole brunt of costs for their Sunday test. I suspect this why Red Bull effectively asked Ferrari's permission to join in with their private test.

 

Surely it defeats the object of cost saving by choosing not to test with all the other teams? Or have I taken a left at the traffic lights somewhere?

 

Hiring the track for a few days will probably cost a bit. Presumably they'd go for Jerez or Barcelona as they're based in Spain, Lotus are using Silverstone I think. Then transporting all their gear, as well as the extra wages. I don't think they're too concerned about results, just getting the car on the grid with as little expense as possible and hoping their drivers can pay for it all. I doubt they'll opt for a test.

 

I'm not entirely convinced Ferrari and Red Bull are all that into cost saving.

 

Or Mercedes. Lotus had their hand forced by unreliability.

 

Must be honest I'm aware of the financial restrictions about private testing, but surely they would have enough money to TEST the car?? If not then there are some serious wealth distribution problems.
And if they fail, again, to get the car tested before FP1, then the FIA need to step in.

 

Well indeed. I suppose what I meant was I thought there were rules prohibiting this as it was part of the horrendous spending that was common place a few years back.

 

For a team like HRT, the costs of running a private test would be better spent elsewhere, even if they have got enough money to do it. They're only ever going to attend pre-arranged tests, the costs for which would, I guess, be spread across all the teams.

The rules have been relaxed this season, as you know, and I can only suppose that, in the spirit of allowing the teams to test more, the FIA has given them special dispensation. Personally I think they should be obliged to test only on planned test days at planned circuits. I think Ferrari and Red Bull probably have significant developments to try out before Australia and they shouldn't be allowed to test them after everyone else has finished.