14 replies to this topic

[imaginesix]

I've made this illustration of the FIA rules regarding bodywork size for F1 cars, as the subject seems to come up quite often.

The green shapes represent the MAXIMUM allowable bodywork size.
The red shapes represent the MINIMUM allowable bodywork size.
The tires are used as REFERENCE points around which the body is designed.

Click here for picture.
The front section is referenced around the front wheel location, the rear section around the rear wheels. There is no min/max overall length or wheelbase rule.

Much is revealed in this diagram, such the front wing 'step', the rear wing upper and lower element areas, the area within which BAR placed an extra wing for Imola, the cut-out area above the engine that once allowed McLaren's 'whale-tail' of 1994.

I found it surprising to see how much room was available at the front of the car for additional airfoils if needed, and also that the engine air intake is effectively mandatory. But there may be room for interpretation there too...

[moog101]

I'm sure it's good, but I can't see the picture.....

[Jhope]

sounds very interesting, but all that's missing is the visuals.;)

[moog101]

oh well, I can't make it work either

[imaginesix]

Ah yes, sorry 'bout that, let me see if I can fix this :-/

[Ali_G]

Is ti just me or are everybody else just coming up with a screen asking for user name and password.

Niall

[desmo]

Imagenesix- unless it's a stupid-big file like 400K plus, I'd be happy to post it if you'd email me the image in jpg format.

[Tech_Nut]

Imagosex, in case you didn't know already, April Fools was 16 days ago......

[imaginesix]

Me thinks the picture should be visible to all now, otherwise I'll send it to desmo to fix, heh.

[Jhope]

looking at those dimensions, it seems as though Benetton were forced to design an airbox above the drivers head to feed the wide angled V.

I also see the loophole Minardi and BAR used in creating an extra wing above the rear axle line.


Is a wing considered bodywork or just a wing?

[desmo]

Great job, I-6. That's the first time I've seen the bodywork regs represented graphically, it really helps.

[Janzen]

According to your excellent picture you have steps going down by the rear wheel, but a lot of teams have winglets in front of the rear wheels and not to speak of the tubes that Maclaren have there?
I would think there are some more min measurements like between driver cockpit and front axle.

[imaginesix]

Yes Janzen, I thought the same thing when I first completed the diagram, that there's no room for 'flip-ups' aheaqd of the rear wheels.
But I have since concluded that the sidepods must be significntly lower than the max sidepod height, especially at the rear where they taper downwards, such that the small amout of room available back there is sufficient for flip-ups or exhaust columns. Remember the prost (last year?) that had two flip-ups on each side of the car, one lower, close to the wheel and one higher, further away? I think they were designed based entirely on the maximum available room in that area.
Idealy, the diagram would be drawn around a ghosted image of a current F1 car, and rotatable in any direction to allow the underside or rear to be viewed. But not by me, not today :-)
Also, keep in mind that no aspect of the cockpit dimensions are included in the drawing. Maybe next time.
And Jhope: No, the rules do not distinguish aerofoils from the rest of the bodywork. To limit the number of wing elements, they are referred as 'closed sections' (of bodywork) when viewed from the side, and limited to 3 in the upper area, and one in the lower.

[carlos.maza]

Bravo Imaginesix. Buen trabajo!!.

Your drawing is very didactical and usefull for a better understanding of the rules.
Talking about the rules, is the 22 page PDF document available at the FIA site "ALL" the F1 technical rules? Was your drawing made according to this document?

[Jhope]

thanks for the info dude!