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#185991
It'll be banned.


Jep, Because the cars have to be a certain ride height after the race. So being able to adjust that would surely breach that. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

It would not be a breach if the setting was returned to "normal" at the last pit stop but there are so many variables that basically make the system just another headache, I think it's a waste of time and resources.



didn't Honda/BAR get done for a similar thing, but they where running underweight cars mid race and then putting a bit of extra fuel in at the last stop to get the weight back up?

They had a secret fuel compartment (allegedly to improve fuel flow or whatever) and they could not prove to the FIA that their car never used that fuel during the race, the consumption of which would have brought the car's weight below the then minimum weight of 605kg.
#186078
Is this to compensate for the lightening of the car as the fuel burns away? If so that means you would only be lowering the car as the race goes on, not raising it.
I can see how the car would want a certian ride height over some part of the track and a different hieght at another stretch, but I don't know what the advantage is of having one height for one stint and another at another stint and then back to the first height for the last stint.
#186080
the closer that the car is to the ground the more down force it can produce. as the weight of the fuel burns off the car will raise itself. so by lowering the car in the race will keep the car lower so it will still have it's downforce.

The fuel tanks now can hold about 160kg of fuel, what is that the weight of 1.5 to 2 people. think how much a road car lowers itself when 2 people gets in it. Now if you think that 160kg is 1/4 of the cars dry weight. the moment will not be massive because the suspension is so hard.

As for resetting it back to it original height I think as already pointed out that the ride height is governed by the plank under the car. so that would not be the case.
#186727
The ban on refuelling was originally envisaged as a method to liven up the show, forcing drivers to overtake rather than wait for pitstops. Making the cars fuel tanks big enough to house the 170+ kg of fuel for a race distance has been a well publicised challenge. But there’s another facing the teams brought in by the rule change. How the cars handling changes with the ever lightening fuel load.

Its been a long time since F1 cars had to run without refuelling. Since then the car have raced with 60-80kg of fuel on board, burned it off over 20-30 laps and then take on another tankful. Now teams will start with 170kg of fuel and burn it off over the course of the entire race. With F1 cars dry weight just 610Kg this is now a substantial proportion of the cars weight. This extra weight will press down on the cars suspension pushing it closer to the ground. Thus the cars ride height will alter considerably from the start of the through to the end. Ride height is critical for two reasons; the overriding issue is aerodynamic. Firstly the front wing and diffuser work in ground effect, so they work better the closer to the ground they get. Thus the wings will work better at the start of the race and diminish as the fuel load lightens. Secondly ground clearance, the plank and titanium skid blocks will be prone to wearing when the car is heavy, excessive wear on the skid blocks will render the car illegal in post race scrutineering.

The teams will need to set the car up to work over a wide range of ride heights, this will mean compromises somewhere, making the car better at high or low ride.

Making matters more complicated will be the return to low fuel final qualifying, the cars wil enter Parc Fermé on Saturday all but empty, then they will be fully fuelled before the race. Again do the teams make their set up favour low fuel\high ride height qualify or go for heavy fuel low ride height for early race pace, or pick a point somewhere in between? Every track will favour certain compromises. Monaco is the classic example of a set up compromised towards qualifying, so teams will focus on the lighter fuel settings, but remain conscious that plank wear can be high over the principalities bumps and kerbs.

One solution put forward was ride height adjustment made during the race. Since the ban on active technologies in the nineties, the rules are clear, there can be no adjustment of the cars suspension while it is moving, equally parc ferme rules prevent any changes between qualifying and the race. But teams could have a mechanic adjust the ride height during the pitstops.

This would be legal and feasible, as the pushrods or torsion bar mounting could be fitted with a quick adjustment mechanism. Even within a sub 3 second pitstop, this could be completed accurately. But as the car will start the race with qualifying (low fuel) ride height settings, this could not be adjusted until the first pitstop, thus the opening stint would be compromised by the wring ride height. Of course the balance of the race could then follow the ride height with the decreasing fuel load, but adjusting at the second and subsequent stops.

How could this be done?

Teams generally adjust ride height with shims fitted to the pushrods. The pushrod is split between the main shaft and the metal end fitting, by loosening the bolts that tie them together a shim can be added into the gap. Thicker shims mean more ride height and the shims need to be added to each of the four pushrods (two front two rear) to gain a balanced ride height. Adjusting via this method is impractical during a rapid pit stop. The pushrods could have a threaded adjuster as used on the front wing flap, a turn of the adjuster drops ride height by a fixed amount, this would be quicker to adjust, but still all four relatively in accessible (during a hectic pitstop at least ) would be difficult.

More likely would be to rotate the fixed ends of the torsion bar springs, by fitting the torsion bars on each axle to a common mechanism, they could be quickly adjusted by a single adjuster (two in total for the car) accessible through the top of the chassis or gearbox. Although the latter would be still hard to access shrouded by the rear wheels and rear wing, plus the associated wheel change and jack mechanics.


Interesting...
#194732
One explanation I came across (which seemed logical at first blush) was that RBR was adding gas pressure to their dampers after qualifying. That maybe they were qualifying at low pressure/low ride height, then boosting the pressure to prevent the car being too low whilst carrying a race fuel load. The sporting regulations do not allow suspension adjustments per se in parc fermé but do provide that "compressed gases may be drained or added". I presume this clause was added for the maintenance of the pneumatic valve spring system but the SR does not limit it to that purpose.

This might provide quite an advantage during qualifying but one would think that that advantage would diminish as the race fuel load burned off. However, there were reports from Sepang were that the RBR's ride height remained low through to the finish. That would seem to "deflate" the gas pressure theory, unless they also are adjusting it during the pit stop(s).
#194744
It will be banned regardless of whatever loophole they find. The FiA aren't going to enjoy having 12 teams complaining that Renault's technology goes against the spirit of several separate regulations - and arguably makes a mockery of a least 1 outright ban (Active Suspension) and maybe another (No moving aerodynamic devices).


Its not active if it does not adjust in "real time", and it is not an aerodynamic device; heck it doesnt even have to be suspension.
Also, 12 teams cant be complaining as probably 2 are already using something like it, and another is using an 'adjustable' rear wing and the FIA set a precedent by allowing loopholes to be exploited.

I think the FIA brought this upon itself by allowing the Double diffuser. The regs about the diffuser had a clear intent... the double diffuser loophole turned it around and now there's a whole can of worms opened and a precedent set.
#194751
RBR reportedly has involved FIA all along in the development of whatever this to assure its legality. That it isn't already being prohibited probably means it won't be.

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