APRIL 24, 2007

FIA to tighten floor tests

The FIA is to increase the load-testing on the Formula 1 floors, increasing the current 500 Newton test to an impressive 2000 Newtons. This will be applied in Spain and teams will also be required to remove any bracing that they have between the floors and the chassis to ensure that the floors are rigid without any external influences.

The FIA believes that some teams have been gaining an aerodynamic advantage by using parts which were designed to pass FIA tests but which flex when the cars are in motion. Suspicions have been raised because of some of the straightline speeds that have been achieved in the early races this year which engineers argue are mathemetically impossible unless there are changes going on in the aerodynamic shape of the cars. These same arguments were used last year to prove that some of the rear wings were flexing.

The increase in the test should stop all flexing, at least in that area of the car but the aerodynamicists are no doubt already looking at other areas were flexing can be used to their advantage.