+Mk+5.gif)
Simulation of the proposed DeltaWing 2012 IndyCar at the Long Beach circuit in California. Could F1 take a similar departure in the future? Video originally uploaded to YouTube by DeltaWingRacing.
It might seem an odd question to ask, only weeks before the start of a Formula One season that is widely tipped to be one of the most closely contested in recent history. But with processional races still commonplace and talk of "improving the spectacle" becoming a rallying-cry for fans and promoters alike, is it time for the sport to reinvent itself and establish an entirely new platform?
Last year saw a raft of new regulations introduced in an effort to encourage overtaking. Sweeping aerodynamic changes - higher, narrower rear wings and wider, lower front wings - were supposed to halve the amount of downforce generated and make it easier for drivers to follow in the turbulent wake of another car, while adjustable front wing flaps were expected to give more scope for the driver to alter settings from the cockpit during the race.
The move back to slick tyres - providing increased mechanical grip - was expected to widen braking zones and so improve opportunities for overtaking. At the same time KERS was brought in - with mixed results - to try to add a tactical dimension to the racing. Yet few would argue that the racing was any more exciting in 2009 as a result of these new measures than it had been in 2008.
The move back to slick tyres - providing increased mechanical grip - was expected to widen braking zones and so improve opportunities for overtaking. At the same time KERS was brought in - with mixed results - to try to add a tactical dimension to the racing. Yet few would argue that the racing was any more exciting in 2009 as a result of these new measures than it had been in 2008.
The 2010 season brings even more changes: with mid-race refuelling now banned, there are fresh challenges for designers, drivers, engineers and strategists alike. But there is no evidence so far to suggest that this will necessarily translate into more exciting on-track action. Rather than trying to find solutions through adapting the current format, then, should F1 instead take a radically new direction?
USA takes the lead
A similar question is currently being posed on the other side of the Atlantic by the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. They have recently announced plans for a new chassis to be introduced in 2012 to replace the current Dallara model, which has been in use since 2003. Design proposals have been submitted by four different manufacturers, including Dallara, Swift and Lola, but by far the most radical concept comes from the DeltaWing firm, which is supported by several of the IndyCar team bosses.
USA takes the lead
A similar question is currently being posed on the other side of the Atlantic by the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. They have recently announced plans for a new chassis to be introduced in 2012 to replace the current Dallara model, which has been in use since 2003. Design proposals have been submitted by four different manufacturers, including Dallara, Swift and Lola, but by far the most radical concept comes from the DeltaWing firm, which is supported by several of the IndyCar team bosses.
Looking like a cross between a sportscar and a Eurofighter Typhoon, the DeltaWing (see above video) is certainly striking. It is not to everyone's taste, though, and responses from fans have so far been mixed. For a start, it bears little resemblance to a modern single-seater - which would mean a significant new direction for IndyCar - and it won't appeal to the traditionalists among the motorsport community.
Aesthetics aside, however, the DeltaWing could well revolutionise circuit racing, and provide the shot in the arm that IndyCar needs to re-establish itself as America's most popular racing series, a title now held by NASCAR. Rather than employing traditional front and rear wings, the DeltaWing would generate downforce by making greater use of the ground effect - shaping the underside to create an area of low pressure beneath the car, thus drawing it down towards the track. (Current F1 regulations require the car's underside to be flat, preventing designers from fully exploiting this effect.)
If the DeltaWing performs as well in practice as it does in theory, the cars would produce less drag at the same time as being less sensitive to turbulence, providing more exciting racing for the fans that is also less costly and environmentally friendlier. Regardless of whether the design is selected by the IRL, it is at the very least food for thought.
There are exciting ideas emerging from the other three manufacturers, too. The futuristic Swift car, for example, features a unique "mushroom-buster" wing mounted on its diffuser - the name referring to the shape of the wake that car leaves behind it. The device is designed to sweep up the air coming off the rear wing, making it less turbulent, and so allow following cars to stay closer when cornering.
No reform without innovation
Such concepts are exactly the kind of new thinking that F1 now requires. While the sport has innovated in many areas over the years, in others it has remained surprisingly resistant to development. The split-plane Centreline Downwash Generating (CDG) Wing - designed, like the mushroom-buster, to reduce the impact of the turbulent wake - was at one point set for introduction in 2008, until it met with opposition from teams. The changes that were subsequently agreed for 2009 were therefore something of a compromise: though in themselves fairly radical, they were arguably the more conservative of the two options.
A Eurofighter Typhoon - close cousin of the DeltaWing concept car. Photo reproduced from a public domain image uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Dmitry A. Mottl.
Aesthetics aside, however, the DeltaWing could well revolutionise circuit racing, and provide the shot in the arm that IndyCar needs to re-establish itself as America's most popular racing series, a title now held by NASCAR. Rather than employing traditional front and rear wings, the DeltaWing would generate downforce by making greater use of the ground effect - shaping the underside to create an area of low pressure beneath the car, thus drawing it down towards the track. (Current F1 regulations require the car's underside to be flat, preventing designers from fully exploiting this effect.)
If the DeltaWing performs as well in practice as it does in theory, the cars would produce less drag at the same time as being less sensitive to turbulence, providing more exciting racing for the fans that is also less costly and environmentally friendlier. Regardless of whether the design is selected by the IRL, it is at the very least food for thought.
There are exciting ideas emerging from the other three manufacturers, too. The futuristic Swift car, for example, features a unique "mushroom-buster" wing mounted on its diffuser - the name referring to the shape of the wake that car leaves behind it. The device is designed to sweep up the air coming off the rear wing, making it less turbulent, and so allow following cars to stay closer when cornering.
No reform without innovation
Such concepts are exactly the kind of new thinking that F1 now requires. While the sport has innovated in many areas over the years, in others it has remained surprisingly resistant to development. The split-plane Centreline Downwash Generating (CDG) Wing - designed, like the mushroom-buster, to reduce the impact of the turbulent wake - was at one point set for introduction in 2008, until it met with opposition from teams. The changes that were subsequently agreed for 2009 were therefore something of a compromise: though in themselves fairly radical, they were arguably the more conservative of the two options.
If F1 is to stay at the forefront of technology and retain its status as the world's premier motorsport series, however, then it must be prepared to embrace and experiment with new ideas. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see how the on-track action can be spiced up without significantly altering the current platform. Those involved in American open-wheel racing are already beginning to realise this. It is up to the FIA, FOTA and the sport's commercial rights holders to follow their lead and work together to establish a similar vision for F1's future.
No comments:
Post a Comment