DFiaA
I told you so
- Liittynyt
- 7.2.2001
- Viestit
- 14430
Aikas erikoista jos Ferrari saa taas huijata ilman seuraamuksia. Onkos näitä uuneja näkynyt TV-kuvissa vai tuodaanko renkaat viimeminuutilla aika-ajoon lämmityksestä?FERRARI TYRE HEATERS RAISE EYEBROWS
Last Updated: Saturday, 25, June, 2005, 03:20
An innovative piece of technical gadgetry pioneered by Ferrari may be about to become the catalyst for another controversy over Formula 1’s regulations.
The Autosport-Atlas website reports that the Maranello team has been using special wheel-heating boxes (rather than regular tyre blankets) in a bid to gain qualifying pace at recent grands prix.
Ferrari has apparently been using these devices since the Monaco Grand Prix after struggling in single-lap qualifying at the early-season races – a weakness that was generally attributed to an inability to generate enough heat in its Bridgestone tyres.
The team has performed noticeably better in recent qualifying sessions, with Michael Schumacher annexing second on the grid at Montreal and fifth at Indianapolis.
The curved metal boxes work by heating the wheel rim as well as the tyre, but the inside casing is understood to consist of the same electrical heating equipment used in conventional tyre blankets.
As a result, the FIA is believed to be satisfied that the devices do not contravene Article 75F of Formula 1’s Sporting Regulations, which stipulates that, “The only permitted type of tyre heating devices are blankets which use resistive heating elements.”
However, some rival teams believe that the boxes more than stretch the definition of ‘blankets’ and instead constitute a kind of ‘tyre oven’, which is clearly outside the regulations.
One leading engineer told Autosport-Atlas, “If Ferrari is allowed to use this system then it seems strange, because it is clear that you can only use a blanket to heat the tyre and not a metal box.”
The key advantage of using a metal box is that it heats up the tyre more uniformly over the entire rubber surface as opposed to just the contact patch.
WWW.ITV-F1.COM
:eek!: