Friday Practice @ Oz - The flapping wings will be tested.

[schmenke]

So embarrassing.

Indeed.

[UltimateDanGTR]

anyone like to take a bet that we wont see the adjustable wings again in 2012? I know I would.

[V12]

...and hopefully turned off for good after the session. If not before.

How this idea ever came to pass is beyond me. They are usually passed off as one of Bernie/Max's "over the top" ideas as a bargaining chip to get something else. To have it actually go through is a scary precedent.

The worst part is, any criticism from within the paddock seems to be focussing on the safety aspect and that the poor ickle drivers will have too many buttons to press. Nobody seems to be mentioning (well apart from the actual fans!) that the whole thing makes a mockery of the sport.

I'll probably watch in Melbourne (although having said that I'll probably sleep through the live broadcast again due to the ridiculous moving it forward from late Saturday night (well technically Sunday) to 6am on Sunday morning), more as a morbid curiosity more than anything, beyond that I'm not sure.

Once again I ask (nay plead) for sanity from the F1 powers that be.

All that is needed for spectators to witness true racing with plenty of overtaking is a boost button combined with a strict fuel allotment.

If a driver use's the boost to often his car will run out of fuel.

Regards scaliwag.

While I'm usually against things like push to pass buttons that we get/got in Champ Car/IRL, it's actually not a bad idea when put like this. If you say it can be used whenever the hell you like, but yeah with a maximum fuel allowance, more of which gets burned up. In that way isn't not actually that much different to in the old turbo days when a driver would turn the boost up into qualifying mode when he needed to get past someone.

The worst part about the wing is that it can't be used in defence and only within the "overtaking zone" (puke), so it's not exactly a level playing field.

[Garry Walker]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89955

This sounds more ridiculous every time I read it.

The flappy wings will only work in a certain part of the track, at a certain time, under certain procedural annotations, which has to be conducted by the driver, via a switch, while using KERS, without trying to run into the car in front, by only being 1.3 seconds behind, that will then be shown on the television screen so fans are NOT confused, then navigating a full GP course, and while trying to overtake.

No. Not confusing at all.

It is not so much about being confusing, rather, it is about being very stupid. That such a rule was created is quite mindboggling, because supposedly they are supposed to be quite intelligent fellows running the show, yet they come up with something like this. Truly embarrassing for F1.

It's all so contrived: "activation in the 600-metre overtaking zone" The whole circuit is the "overtaking zone". Drivers plan their moves in advance and "set up" the driver ahead for a pass perhaps many laps in advance. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Or at least they used to.

Now we have an overtaking zone marked by painted lines on the circuit and a rear wing which can be adjusted if the cars are close enough together, all of which is monitored by the FIA. Oh, and there's also KERS to give that added bit of boost.

They're all just gimmicks which just might be fun features in a racing game but it's not F1 Grand Prix motor racing.

Sort out the effing aerodynamics of the cars, and the circuits

I can only agree.
If we keep on going like this, soon every driver will have a overtaking quota for every race, where he can ask for the driver in front to let him pass lets say 3 times in every race and the driver in front will have to do it.

Alonso would probably gain the most from this rule because of his previous experiences.

[ioan]

And so they killed F1.
It's effin unbelievable that this moving wings ideas are a result of a cognitive process of the F1 teams technical directors!

[Kevincal]

haha you guys act like its the end of the world, every year there are new rules with some being wacky. you never know it might create a hell of a show. i just got done watching the borefest that was abu dhabi 2010, anything can be better than that. yes now the drivers have almost too much to do, but that means more mistakes which means more action. im all for more action, i dont really care how it comes about. i just hate boring races.

[pino]

never mind

[ArrowsFA1]

...you never know it might create a hell of a show...

It might well do, but if it does it'll be a contrived "show".

The thing that gets me is that this adjustable wing has been introduced as a way to get around the fact that the aero design of the cars prevents, or at least severely limits, overtaking. Rather than getting around something with a gimmick fix the problem.

[scaliwag]

It might well do, but if it does it'll be a contrived "show".

The thing that gets me is that this adjustable wing has been introduced as a way to get around the fact that the aero design of the cars prevents, or at least severely limits, overtaking. Rather than getting around something with a gimmick fix the problem.

Agreed.

[Dave B]

you never know it might create a hell of a show.

WWE puts on "a hell of a show". I feel I need say no more.