Teams agree on double diffuser ban

The introduction of double diffusers into F1 caused huge controversy at the start of last season, when rivals protested the concept that was used to great effect by Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota in the opening races of the campaign.

The matter eventually went to the FIA International Court of Appeal, where the double diffuser was deemed fully legal and other teams had to revise the rear end of their cars to make the most of the extra downforce the design produced.

However, with downforce and car speeds having increased since then - and the diffuser designs getting increasingly more complicated - sources have revealed that moves are now afoot to change the F1 regulations to outlaw them completely.

On the back of predictions that the downforce levels of cars will this season potentially go beyond what they were at the end of 2008, teams have decided to take action.

AUTOSPORT understands that technical chiefs discussed reducing downforce levels in a meeting of FOTA's Technical Regulations Working Group (TRWG) late last year, and agreed that the rules should be changed to effectively outlaw double diffusers.

The teams want to create regulations that require the floor to be a continuous section if taken through a longitudinal or lateral plane - which if achieved will get rid of the 'slots' in the floor that have made the double diffuser concept work.

It is understood that efforts are now being made to sort out the wording of the regulations to ensure that there are no loopholes that will allow anyone to continue using a double diffuser.

Once the wording of the rules has been sorted, it will then be put to the FIA's official Technical Working Group for ratification prior to going through the channels required for it to get put into the 2011 regulations.

It is estimated that the reduction in downforce caused by the double diffuser ban would result in the cars being slowed by around one second per lap.

Lotus' chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne confirmed to AUTOSPORT that the move was being made, and it was one he supported.

"I think it is exactly right," he said. "It is what we should do, and it is what both FOTA and the FIA are looking at for 2011. I think it is very sensible and very easy to do - just tighten up the regulations and it is done."

Gascoyne did not believe that the double diffuser ban would have that big an impact in terms of helping overtaking, though.

When asked if he felt the widespread use of double diffusers in F1 had hindered overtaking, Gascoyne said: "I don't think there was a reduction in overtaking, but the changes to improve overtaking didn't help. And in fact, if you look at the numbers, it was never going to.

"But if you look at it carefully, what the [F1 teams'] aero group set out to achieve it actually did, and if you take the diffuser away it will do exactly what it said on the tin. Unfortunately that will never help you overtake anyone."

Although the majority of teams support the move, some outfits are unhappy about the double diffuser ban because it will mean an expensive redesign of the entire rear end of the car, including the gearbox and rear suspension, for 2011.

SOURCE: Autosport

Good news, but they'll find another way to ruin overtaking before then.cjek

Overtaking in Formula 1 has never been easy and it never will be.

DOUBLE DIFFUSERS BANNED FROM 2011

Formula 1 technical chiefs have officially agreed to ban double diffusers from the start of next year, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

A move to cut aerodynamic downforce was discussed with the FIA in Thursday's meeting of F1 think-tank the Technical Working Group, where agreement was necessary if the changes were to be implemented in future regulations.

Sources have confirmed to AUTOSPORT that a vote approved the tweaks to aerodynamics - with a tidying up of the controversial diffuser rules effectively outlawing double diffusers from the start of next season.

It is understood that the teams approved a requirement that the diffuser surface must be continuous on its inboard section from the start of 2011. This prevents the use of the controversial 'slots' that were key to making the double diffuser work.

The matter still needs to get approval from the Formula 1 Commission and the FIA's World Sport Council before being put in the 2011 technical regulations, but this is believed to be a formality if the TWG has already voted in favour.

Double diffusers caused huge controversy at the start of 2009 when the design concept used by Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota was protested by rival outfits. The complaints to stewards fell on deaf ears, however - meaning the matter eventually went to the FIA International Court of Appeal.

The ICA ruled that the diffusers were wholly legal - which forced a number of teams on the grid to revamp their cars to make the most of the advantage provided by double diffusers.

A move to outlaw them now has come about because teams have made such progress in increasing downforce that this season cars are expected to be producing more than at the end of 2008 - when teams were asked to reduce downforce with a dramatic change to the regulations.

Sources have told AUTOSPORT that the aerodynamic changes for 2011 will increase lap times by around two seconds.

Although the diffuser ban goes some way to arresting some of the progress made by teams since the end of 2008, there remain calls for a more thorough rethink.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner, whose team had to integrate a double diffuser onto its car in the middle of last season, believes that changes should go beyond simple rule tweaks.

"I think the most important thing is to set clear objectives - as to what do the governing body and the promoters want F1 to be," he told AUTOSPORT last weekend. "What do they want the F1 cars to be able to do?

"Then rather than cherry picking at bits and pieces, we can look at the package as a whole to encourage more overtaking, and to enable the cars to follow more closely.

"I think looking at components in isolation is often quite dangerous, so I think it is important that the overall objective is clearly defined and then worked on by the various technical groups."

The TWG also approved a regulation tweak to impose a maximum height for the chassis, for safety reasons.

SOURCE: Autosport