No ban on Tyre warmers- Revised rule changes for 2009 Formula 1 season

It was clarified today that there will not be ban on tyre warmers because of safety reasons. Good news for the teams. Bernie Eccleston has appealed to the teams to cut down expenses to half by 2011. So looks like there will not be any direct limitation on spending.

The Raceday show before British Gp was amazing today. Steve Slater presented did a track report just like the pitch report. Renault celebrated their 10th birthday of their development center. It was annoying. But an engineer performed ‘Happy Birthday’ tune with an engine using throttle. That was amazing.

Johnny Walker ‘Drive Safe’ campaign was also interesting. They have started a new design your own helmet simulation competition. Winner will get a helmet made from the designer of Lewis Hamilton’s helmet. Check out this site

Rule changes for Formula-1 season 2009

We are 6 races down. And it has been quite an eventful season already, thanks to revolutionary change by FIA to bar use of electronic driver aids. Next season is about to bring 4 major confirmed changes.

1) Limit on Team Budgets-

A dream come true for teams struggling for consistent championship points. There has been a hue and cry about top teams spending extravagantly on developments. This decision is expected to bring the game to a fair level. But capping amount is yet to be finalised. Also, what will come under this limit is unknown. If rumors are to be believed, driver contracts and marketing may not come under FIA scanner. Importantly, it is feared that Constructors can easily outsource the development to hide it from FIA. So, to keep complete tab will therefore be a challenging task for FIA.

This has gone to a new level with another proposals by F1 bosses. Read here

2) Introduction of slick tyres and ban on tyre warmers-

Use of Slick tyres was banned in F1 since 1998. Slick tyres are the ones which do not have any tread pattern on them. These treads are essential to remove water from under the tyres. According to Wiki and one Automobile Engineering book that I have, treads help in better traction under wet conditions. But under dry conditions, slick tyres provide more traction. They deform less under stress conditions and hence can be made of softer compound, allowing better grip.

Tyre warmers were to be banned. This would have only affected the initial laps. But it has been cancelled now. Tyre warmers are here to stay.

3) Introduction of KERS-

I just loved this 1. KERS stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System. This is already used for commercial purpose. The principle can be explained by considering the basic braking principle. Breaks apply force opposite to the direction of motion of the wheels and dissipate the energy into heat. KERS uses this energy and converts it into some other sort of useful energy, eg. Charging a capacitor bank or storing it in a flywheel, as in the case of Formula 1 cars. This energy can be used in peak energy demand periods for additional boost. Let Wiki enlighten you on this subject..here you go

4) Driver Adjustable Bodywork-

One more interesting change is on board front wing adjustment control to driver. This will be a ‘REAL’ change that will kill the ‘ALLEGED’ monotony of the game.

For latest round of budget cutting measures and new changes click here