The FIA has published a radical new design it claims will improve overtaking and make it easier for cars to follow one another at speed…
They hope their new design can be brought in as soon as 2007.
The design is a product of a programme of research started by the FIA – the ruling body of Formula One – in the hope of finding a design which would encourage overtaking in the sport by increasing the amount of aerodynamic down force cars generated when following one another, therefore giving them more grip.
The problem up to now has been that when following one another at speed, the air moving over the front and rear wings of the car behind has not only been less, but more turbulent as well.
As a result the car following has less grip and is more difficult to drive.
This inevitably means catching and overtaking cars is more difficult and doesn’t make for good racing.
In an attempt to fix the problem the FIA started a program of research to produce regulations for a car which would still produce the same down force but would also create a wake in which a following car would produce more down force with less drag.
In simple terms, the following car will be able to go faster than the car in front therefore there should be much more overtaking.
The new wing, called the CDG (Centerline Downwash Generating) Wing, was presented to the Formula One Commission meeting in London in the hope of gaining approval.
The FIA want the new design, along with wider wheels and slick tyres, to be part of the 2008 technical regulations.
However, they also say that with support from the teams and manufacturers it could be brought in as early as 2007.
Max Mosely, the FIA president, said: "This new research is important for the future of Formula One.
"By introducing the CDG wing we can give motor sport fans exactly what they have asked for, wheel-to-wheel racing with much more overtaking.
"It is our hope that the teams will collaborate with us in the optimisation of this radical new idea so that the aerodynamic benefits can be introduced into Formula One in 2007 rather than having to wait until 2008."
