Renault/Lotus developing ride height adjustment system?

[Chris Jenkins]

There's been a few conflicting reports over the past couple days about a ride height system that Lotus F1 (Renault) have been developing.
Here's the initial report from The F1 Times:

Lotus look to have stolen an early march on their rivals following speculation that the outfit has developed an adjustable ride-height system.

The system, which it's reported is driver controlled via a switch in the cockpit, would maintain the ride-height of the car under braking and acceleration to ensure the car is running at the optimum height at all times.
Giorgio Piola, a well known and respected technical journalist, reported the findings following the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi back in November.

Such a system would allow the driver to lower the car under acceleration, i.e. when the forward motion raises the front of the car, reducing the front-wing efficieny, and then raise it under braking, again ensuring the front-wing remains at a constant height, allowing the outfit to run their cars much lower than those without such a system.
With the ban on refuelling, getting the ride-height correct can make a difference in the region of two to three tenths per lap. As the cars start the race with full tanks (about 155kg), the engineers must take this variable into account when setting the ride-height to ensure the load doesn't compress the suspension, which in turn would see the car bottoming out and wearing on the plank.

As the fuel reduces, so does the weight, and the car raises as it becomes lighter. This increases the ride-height and reduces the level of downforce. If a team can develop a system which ensures the height remains constant under braking/acceleration and throughout the race, as it's believed Lotus have, then a considerable amount of time could be gained.

The system is likely to cause some discussion amongst the teams as the pre-season ramps up and could once again, as with the F-duct, prompt a development race as other teams attempt to copy it.
Though the legality of such a system could be called into question following the F-duct ban which was deemed a 'moveable aerodynamic device' - the proposed Lotus system works in a similar way as both are driver controlled.

Ferrari has contacted the FIA about the rumoured system to clarify whether such a concept would be legal, team principal Stefano Domenicali confirmed on Wednesday.

This would obviously be illegal under current regulations, which led to this follow-on report from Autosport.

Lotus's rivals look set to be forced to copy its innovative reactive ride height system ahead of the 2012 season, with the FIA happy the concept is totally legal.
There has been much intrigue in recent days about the mechanism that Lotus was reported to have tried out at the Abu Dhabi young driver test last year.
The mechanical system helps maintain a standard ride height during braking - when often the front of the car would dip down.

Rivals teams are understood to have looked into the system and its legality over recent days - with a report in Gazzetta dello Sport this week suggesting it was driver adjusted by the use of a pedal in the cockpit.
However, if the drivers were changing the ride height of the cars under braking then that would be a breach of the rules.
Article 3.15 of the F1 Technical Regulations states: "With the exception of the parts necessary for the adjustment described in Article 3.18 [the DRS], any car system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited."
AUTOSPORT can reveal, however, that the adjustment to the ride height - which improves aerodynamic performance and stability on the Lotus under braking - does not come from the driver.
Instead it is reactive to brake torque and is linked directly to the suspension - so cannot be classified as a moveable aerodynamic device in the way that independent mass dampers were.
The fact that the driver is not involved, and that the system is a part of the suspension, means it complies fully with the F1 regulations.

AUTOSPORT understands that Lotus has been in liaison with the FIA throughout the development of the brake system, having first been proposed in 2010 and been given an official green light by the governing as long ago as January last year.

With the FIA happy that the brake system is legal, it means that its main rivals will now have to propose their own systems to the governing body if they want to adopt such a concept for the forthcoming season.
AUTOSPORT also understands that at least one front-running team has already submitted plans for a similar ride-height adjustment device to be used in 2012.

Pretty interesting development for us to discuss!

 

[Aidan Keranen]

interesting. does that mean Kimi will win a race?
but in all seriousness, this is good. it shows that Formula 1 is still all about pushing the boundries and developing new stuff.
though i'm not surprised that Ferrari were the first to cry to the FIA whether it is legal or not...

 

[Ryan Hayes]

is it legal though? Just looked up the technical regs.It isnt a powered device.
BUT then again, it works with the car in motion.​

10.2 Suspension geometry :
10.2.1 With the steering wheel fixed, the position of each wheel centre and the orientation of its rotation axis must be completely and uniquely defined by a function of its principally vertical suspension travel, save only for the effects of reasonable compliance which does not intentionally provide further degrees of freedom.
10.2.2 Any powered device which is capable of altering the configuration or affecting the performance of any part of the suspension system is forbidden.
10.2.3 No adjustment may be made to the suspension system while the car is in motion.​

 

[Hampus Andersson]

It´s legal. It´s part of the syspension and is not driver controlled.

Ferrari cries because when they are innovative it gets banned. Remember the hole in the nosecone Ferrari had?
Nodoby would be able to copy them because you had to do crash tests with it, everyone started crying and Whiting banned it.
Same with the aero-rims, they had to be homologated before the season starts and when Ferrari was alone with this type of wheel rim, FIA decided for next year to remove the homologation rule.

Yet they have no problems with F-ducts, (which was legal but it costs teams enormous amounts of money to develop for a relatively small performance boost) or now the EBD´s etc.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Stephano Dominicali has shed a bit more light on the system:

Ferrari have reportedly developed their own ride-height system for their 2012 car, following in the footsteps of Lotus.
According to high level sources within Ferrari, the outfit has submitted its plans to the FIA for a similar system which regulates the ride-height of the car under acceleration and braking.
Such a system is expected to provide a significant benefit, not only to the downforce levels produced by ensuring the car remains as low as possible at all times, but also in maintaining the life of the rear tyres.

Team principal Stefano Domenicali spoke about the rumours on Wednesday.
"It is more related to having stability under braking," he said. "It is a system that I know there have been some documents in writing between the FIA and the teams.
"We are waiting for the final confirmation if this kind of devices will be acceptable or not. But for sure we are looking around these sorts of devices to see if they contribute to a performance. But we need to wait and see what will be the reaction to the FIA on that."

It's expected the system will be cleared after the Lotus system was deemed legal by the FIA.

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Very intersting. This could well mean that Kimi could be on the top right from the start of season.. Nothing would please me more. I hope they can keep the system.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

I hope they can keep the system.

Read the last sentence in Chris quote.

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Read the last sentence in Chris quote.

Anything can happen.... Until i see the first race results, it's unconfirmed to me.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Anything can happen.... Until i see the first race results, it's unconfirmed to me.

So FIA can´t change rules after the first race?

 

[Chris Jenkins]

I'm pretty sure it has to be discussed at the technical working group meetings and voted on. Unless it clearly breaches existing regulations, which the FIA have said it doesn't.

 

[Mehmet Arikan]

Meanwhile i declare everything what Ferrari pronounce as Spam!
Go Kimi Go

 

[SteveGee]

It's being reported now by a few F1 sites that the FIA has banned the reactive ride system. First time I heard it was from Mark Gillan of Williams, being interviewed by Peter Windsor.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Wow. I wonder what made the FIA backtrack so quickly.

 

[Bruno Sousa Ferreira]

Every time someone comes up with a good idea and its within the rules books the FIA straight away ban it. it takes out the innovation aspect out of the designing the cars. Dissapointed but thats what happens when other teams object, and that is part of F1.

 

[ufunacaoenn]

Why didn't they just keep it a secret so FIA wouldn't ban it?

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

And it's banned already: http://www.racedepartment.com/2012/01/fia-bans-reactive-ride-height-system-for-2012-2/

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Wow. I wonder what made the FIA backtrack so quickly.

Red Bull & Mclaren.

It was no surprise RBR said they were very calm about developing their own system.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97106

It´s completely ridiculous to be honest..

 

[Markus Neumann]

Well, it would be pretty sweet irony if RB, the team which is basically the reason why some teams developed a reactive ride height system because they couldn't copy its (alleged) flexible front wing, now got it banned because it's a moveable aerodynamic device

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Yea that´s another thing. Everyone knows their front wing breaks the rules. It´s designed to close the gap at speed but since it passes the crap tests by FIA it´s legal even though everyone knows it´s really not.

The fact that they say it´s legal then when teams start spending millions on developing it they just change their mind completely.
They knew about this for several months, FIA.

 

[Mehmet Arikan]

FIA = Formel Incest Association !
Show me one government which changes every week the rules ?