F1: More cost cutting measures confirmed.

[Rory Phoulorie]

Friday, 7th December 2007

Wind tunnel restrictions to be brought in; personnel limitations announced for 2008.


The FIA, Formula 1's governing body, has announced that further cost cutting measures will be introduced in 2008.

Under the changes, confirmed on Friday, following the latest meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, restrictions will be placed on aerodynamic testing and on the number of personnel that can be taken to races.

The full statement read:

"A number of principles for cost reduction were agreed for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

"The following aerodynamic testing restrictions will be applied from 2008:

- Teams to use no more than one wind tunnel.
- Test fluid to be air at atmospheric pressure.
- Maximum test section wind speed 50m/sec.
- Maximum model scale 60 per cent.
- No more than one model to be tested during a run.
- Maximum usage to be equivalent to 15 runs per 8 hour day on 5 days per week for team F1 purposes. Tunnel may be contracted out at other times.
- Aerodynamic testing may only take place in wind tunnels if at reduced scale or at FIA approved test tracks if full scale. Full size testing to be subject to the F1 testing agreement.
- Full scale specific aerodynamic testing is to be reduced to 5 days/year.
- Restrictions will be imposed to stop shift of resource from wind tunnel testing to CFD.
- The number of people involved in CFD development will be limited to a number to be agreed.
- CFD computer systems will be characterised in order to set hardware performance limits but growth will be allowed year-on-year to allow for hardware / software development.

"Other restrictions will be placed on Rig Testing, Design and Manufacturing, Suspension and Brakes, Hydraulic Systems, Bodywork, Weight Distribution, Circuit Testing and the number of personnel at races.

"Further details of these restrictions will be given to the teams at a meeting on 11 January 2008 and detailed regulations based on these principles will be put forward at the spring meeting of the WMSC."

It was also announced that the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), to be introduced in 2009, will continue to be an 'entirely open technology'.

"As such, the use of any type of KERS storage/transmission technology will be permitted," added the WMSC.

Engines that will be eligible for the championship between 2008 and 2017 meanwhile must be homologated and delivered no later than March 31 2008, as 'part of the total 10 year freeze on engine development'.


crash.net

[Rory Phoulorie]

I wonder how the FIA intends to police these new regulations.

It's amazing when you read how the major teams run their wind tunnels 24 hours per day and 7 days per week for almost the entire year.