Earlier this week it was reported Ferrari had queried the legality of a suspension setup pioneered by Mercedes following the FRIC ban in 2014.
Without going into huge detail, the concept uses a third element or heave located in the front bulkhead (where the front nose attaches to the chassis) which is designed to store energy generated by the motion of the suspension and is then released when cornering, allowing the car to remain as flat as possible.
This greatly helps the aerodynamicists in predicting the airflow over the car at all times and also makes looking after the tyres, a former major weakness of Mercedes, much easier.
Red Bull has used a similar system though for an alternative purpose of allowing the car to run a very high rear ride height, or rake, which would offer better rear downforce through the diffuser and also act to stall the rear wing, thus increasing the top speed down the straight.
Ferrari is only just developing this kind of system now and designer Simone Resta’s request to the governing body for clarification on the legality of them has caused this first controversy of 2017.
In response, Charlie Whiting has indeed suggested that such systems breach article 3.15 of the regulations which states any element that is not directly associated with the main purpose of the suspension and is offering an aerodynamic benefit is illegal.
The matter is far from closed as teams will be in talks with the FIA, especially given the investment Mercedes, Red Bull and others have put into such systems and the proximity to the next Formula One season.
However, it will be far from the last such controversy this year with new aerodynamic rule changes meaning teams will have once again pushed the limit in terms of the letter of the rules and the interpretation of the rules in an effort to get an edge on their rivals.
We can expect to see this begin in Barcelona at the end of February when the all-new cars roll out of the garage for pre-season testing. With many predicting a very rapid pace of development, it will likely continue throughout the year.
The big area to watch out for will be with the new wider and more aggressive floors which will generate a much larger ground effect than before.
The performance that can be gained from a new innovation in this area is much larger than with the wings, as we saw with the double diffusers in 2009, therefore, we can expect a lot of focus to be on what Mercedes, Red Bull and all the teams come up with.
The bargeboards, which direct the airflow either under or around the car, will also be much more influential and, as a result, will be another area that will likely receive greater attention.
It is this innovation and the likely fallout from it, that make the aerodynamic-led eras in F1 often far more interesting. In the engine-dominated years that have just gone it has proven impossible to match Mercedes’ power unit advantage and it has also put the customer teams at a greater disadvantage.
But with these new rules, it allows Sauber, Williams, Force India and other teams that can sometimes match the aerodynamic abilities of a Ferrari or Mercedes, the chance to be more competitive.
That is just one of the reasons I am hopeful for an exciting 2017 season and can’t wait for it all to begin when the cars are revealed in the next six weeks.
