It is simply stupid to not to allow teams to change their chassis setups to suit changing weather conditions. Lets see the rules become more rational.

alacran - 17 October 2009 05:50 PM

It is simply stupid to not to allow teams to change their chassis setups to suit changing weather conditions. Lets see the rules become more rational.

Regardless of forecast, teams will almost always spring the cars for the dry; about all they do for the wet is more wing (easily crew adjustable), less anti-roll bar (driver adjustable) and brake bias (driver adjustable); maybe a slight ride height change, although some ride height is gained with the full wets, as they are a larger diameter.

This is one of those rules that actually helps the smaller teams; this keeps the top teams from having completely different qualifying and race setups (like Nascar).

The other thing putting cars in parc fermé does is it keeps teams from changing things and possibly adding something illegal after the car has qualified. It's easier than the redundancy of running cars through tech inspection after qualifying, then running them through again just before the race.

wilmywood8455 - 17 October 2009 08:10 PM

alacran - 17 October 2009 05:50 PM

It is simply stupid to not to allow teams to change their chassis setups to suit changing weather conditions. Lets see the rules become more rational.

Regardless of forecast, teams will almost always spring the cars for the dry; about all they do for the wet is more wing (easily crew adjustable), less anti-roll bar (driver adjustable) and brake bias (driver adjustable); maybe a slight ride height change, although some ride height is gained with the full wets, as they are a larger diameter.

This is one of those rules that actually helps the smaller teams; this keeps the top teams from having completely different qualifying and race setups (like Nascar).

Most F1 teams don't adjust for wing angle, they change the whole wing. (with exception to second elements on the front wing that are driver adjustable.
If conditions are as bad as they were at Brazil, officals should allow some changes to occur for the conditions, such as raising the ride height to keep the plank out of standing water and allowing the teams to change wing elements for higher downforce (allowing the switch back for the same parts in dry race)
Mostly for a matter of safety......IMHO..

I don't think the FIA minds if a team raises the car's ride height. That costs speed and downforce, where lowering it increases both, at least in dry conditions. Changing wing elements and possibly diffusers for higher downforce in wet conditions may help, but only if everybody gets the same increases, to keep the playing field level.