The technical aspect of Formula One is always full of intrigue but 2009 is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating seasons in a very long time. The new regulations have forced teams to think up fresh ideas and the result is a lot of design variation throughout the field. In turn, this is creating plenty of controversy because all of the teams have interpreted the new rules in different ways. Some of them are pushing the regulations to the legal limit, or perhaps beyond, and most of the teams have already contacted the FIA to seek clarification about their rivals 2009 models.
We might find ourselves in for a year full of controversy.
Ferrari was the first team to stumble over the new regulations. A number of their competitors openly questioned the legality of the F60 and it has since been adjusted to comply with the 2009 specifications.
Aerodynamic attachments to the sidepods have been outlawed this year, so items like winglets, cooling towers, and turning vanes will no longer be seen on the cars. Originally this ban did not apply to exhaust outlets, so Ferrari smartly built theirs sticking out of the sidepod which helped direct airflow over the car.
However, during a meeting of the Technical Working Group in September last year, it was agreed that exhaust outlets would be considered part of the car’s bodywork and would therefore be subject to the same restrictions as everything else. This was a smart move because the teams would otherwise sculpt the end of their exhausts into winglets. The Ferrari delegate in the Technical Working Group either forgot to take notes, or cannot read his own writing, because the team seemed to ignore this clarification and continued to build their car as if the meeting had never happened.
Their mistake was clear to see when the F60 was launched at Mugello, and their rivals were quick to point out the error.
Ferrari has since been forced to embarrassingly rebuild the exhaust outlets.
At least that dilemma was quickly resolved. There is likely to be far more controversy surrounding the cars built by Williams and Toyota.
Some of the most significant changes to the regulations in 2009, although perhaps the least visible, relate to the rear diffuser.
The rear diffuser on an F1 car contributes up to 40 percent of the chassis total downforce, so its importance is not to be understated. As air rushes beneath the car it is sucked into the diffuser and spat out the back. This is done through a series of channels that are cut into the floor, and as the air passes through them it is forced to expand, sucking the car to the ground. Teams like their diffusers to be as large as possible so they can suck through as much air as possible.
In 2009 the shape and location of the rear diffuser has been changed.
The height of ‘channels’ within the diffuser has been made uniform and their overall volume has been reduced. The diffuser has also been moved backwards to lessen its effect on the rear wheels. It used to be level with the rear axle but is now at the very back of the car.
Most teams have constructed diffusers that look very similar, if not the same, so they are now almost like a standard part.
That is except for Toyota and Williams who have taken a totally different approach to that end of the car. Their innovative designs are already drawing a lot of attention.
Article 3.10 of the Technical Regulations allows for a box of space fifteen centimetres wide directly above the diffuser where teams can effectively do what they want. Toyota and Williams have built their diffusers to take advantage of this free space, although they have done so using different ideas.
Toyota’s interpretation is simple but clever. They have essentially combined the top of their diffuser with the bottom of the rear crash structure, meaning the middle channel of their diffuser is larger than the 175mm allowance. This is fine because the diffuser itself still conforms to the regulations, but has been extended by the bodywork structure that Toyota have built into the space above it. The rules that govern that part of the car render Toyota’s design totally legal.
It is a little bit like being told that you have to build a kettle only ten centimetres high, but then making one fifteen centimetres high because there are no limits on how big the lid has to be. Toyota has come up with a very simple and clever way of getting around the new restrictions.
The Williams design is more complex, and is likely to result in more controversy.
Rather than making the crucial middle channel of their diffuser larger, Williams have actually made it smaller. This gives them more space directly above and Williams are now using this area to essentially create a secondary diffuser. It isn’t a new design but it wasn’t expected to be possible under the new rules.
The front of the Williams diffuser (beneath the car near the rear axle) is smaller than what most teams have come up with and allows air to rush in front of it as well as inside it. The air that rushes in front will be sucked up into the free space above the actual diffuser and will have the same downforce producing effect. Williams have essentially built a double-decker diffuser that is larger than the regulations allow, but their design is legal because the secondary channel is around the diffuser and not actually a part of the diffuser itself.
Sticking with the previous analogy, Williams have a built their kettle to right size but have constructed everything else around it to act like a kettle as well.
Just like the Toyota interpretation, it is very clever. Other teams must be wondering why they didn’t think of it themselves. Williams might not have won a championship in over ten years but they are certainly not short on engineering nous.
Toyota has since altered their design so that it also features a double-decker style channel like the Williams.
Renault management have stated they will be asking the FIA to clarify the diffuser regulations, and a number of other teams are believed to be doing the same. It will be interesting if their queries lead to any action because if they don’t, almost every team will arrive in Melbourne with exactly the same larger design.
There’s nothing wrong with controversy about the cars in Grand Prix racing. Pushing the sporting and technical boundaries is what F1 is all about and it should be welcomed. It’s only the controversies over things like spying scandals and stewards that tarnish the sport.
Arguments over diffusers and exhaust outlets are fantastic, and it’s great to see that sort of technical debate raging again in 2009.