Active suspension now banned.

[MAX_THRUST]

So one week, its allowed and said to be legal and now they have banned it. What is the FIA playing at? Make a decision and stick with it. Was Lotus going to have that much of an edge with the system?

Makes me wonder which team didn't like the idea and has managed to get it banned? All a bit stupid really. The FIA should clarify these rules before other teams start wasting time investing staff and money on developing their own systems.

[Zico]

I thought it was passive? Thats very dissapointing, the FIA are effectively stopping any clever interpretations within the rules when such innovative ideas should be an integral part of F1 Imo. (within reason of course!)

[truefan72]

ridiculous

I'm sure it would not have been banned if Ferrari or mclaren came up with the idea

[wedge]

Can't say I'm say surprised. I was surprised it was legal in the first place.

F1 doesn't need this sort of technology IMO. Reactive ride height/braking stability whatever it is/does, F1 has too much reliance on aero and certainly F1 cars shouldn't be 'easier' to drive.

[Nikki Katz]

Personally if I was the FIA I'd try to discourage innovations that go against the point of the sport by using loopholes in the technical regulations and reducing downforce for cars following, and this would be an example of it. I think that I probably would do the same as the FIA has done today. But be consistent about it, not like banning Renault's suspension thing and allowing Ferrari's dangerous tyre cover things from a few years ago.

But I don't see why they announced it was legal one week and illegal the next? I get the feeling that there's some lobbying going back a year or so that we're not aware of.

I think this is going to be a big blow for Lotus this year. Possibly for Ferrari too - I was starting to see them as a good slightly outside bet for the title because of this system and the banning of the diffusers that helped Red Bull and McLaren.

[wedge]

Personally if I was the FIA I'd try to discourage innovations that go against the point of the sport by using loopholes in the technical regulations and reducing downforce for cars following, and this would be an example of it. I think that I probably would do the same as the FIA has done today. But be consistent about it, not like banning Renault's suspension thing and allowing Ferrari's dangerous tyre cover things from a few years ago.

But I don't see why they announced it was legal one week and illegal the next? I get the feeling that there's some lobbying going back a year or so that we're not aware of.

I think this is going to be a big blow for Lotus this year. Possibly for Ferrari too - I was starting to see them as a good slightly outside bet for the title because of this system and the banning of the diffusers that helped Red Bull and McLaren.

*Points finger at Charlie Whiting* He's such a numpty on technical matters.

I'd like to see more of how a such innovation develops such as the trick exhausts and multi-deck diffusers. It was getting a bit crazy arms race.

However its quite obvious the anti-dive is a sort of passive variation of active suspension which is why I'm all for having it banned.

It's a tricky conundrum/paradox: innovation but not make the cars easier for the drivers.

[N4D13]

*Points finger at Charlie Whiting* He's such a numpty on technical matters.

But are you sure that it was his decision? Being a technical matter, I can't see a reason why Whiting would have a say on that.

Anyway, I don't really know if he has another role other than race director, so feel free to dress me down* if I'm wrong.

* Metaphorically, of course.

[Robinho]

my 2 peneth:

Im interested in Red Bull's apparent dis-interest in the system. Could it be a smokescreen for the fact that they already have been running something similar since last season (FIA informed Lotus in January 2011 that ot was legal). Therefore they never had a flexible wing allowing them to get the front wing close to the ground at high speeds, rather they had a system that raised the front under breaking allowing them to run a lower front ride height. No wonder they always passed all the flexibility checks?!
I think them not being bothered by the system has 2 parts - firstly saying don't bother copying it as its not really that good (even though we already have it) and a message to the FIA in please don't bother banning the system, we're not even that bothered about it. Could this actually hurt RBR more than they are letting on. As conspiracy theories go, I've seen crazier

[CNR]

F1 ruling body bans Lotus's pioneering reactive suspension system | Sport | The Observer

Several other teams, including Williams, were also believed to be looking into similar devices while awaiting an FIA ruling

[MAX_THRUST]

Interesting comment about RedBull there....Now I am wondering if they had that system already?