Breaking news
Formula 1
FIA evaluating Force India's CFD reliance proposal
The FIA is evaluating Force India's proposal to modify Formula 1's Sporting Regulations as part of the team's push towards total reliance on CFD rather than wind tunnels for aerodynamic research.
Adam Cooper
Edited: Aug 18, 2016, 11:38 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
All F1 teams currently operate under carefully monitored FIA Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions, which balance wind tunnel hours with the use of CFD teraflops.
Force India believes that the current system is too heavily weighted in favour of tunnels, and has thus submitted a proposal for a second system to operate in parallel, and which teams who want to focus on CFD can choose.
This would be of particular interest to teams who do not have tunnels and have to rent time in third-party facilities at significant cost, Force India, Haas and Manor among the outfits falling into that category.
The proposal has already been to the Strategy Group and is now being given further consideration by team technical directors.
“We’ve asked the Strategy Group to look into a position where we can do a glide path down and a total switch to CFD,” Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley told Motorsport.com.
“It’s on the basis that we can now foresee that in time CFD will replace wind tunnels, and we want to facilitate that, effectively.
“What we have today is a wind tunnel-biased formula, and what we are looking for is a CFD-biased formula that allows people to switch to CFD. It’s a completely different equation, and the current system would stay in place.
“We’ve put a concept proposal together, and now we’ll ask the technical regulations group to refine it and get a consensus between them and submit it back again hopefully for approval by the Strategy Group. The Strategy Group thought it had merit, otherwise they wouldn’t have put it through. They were very supportive.”
CFD as sole aero programme
Fernley is convinced that we are just a few years away from teams having the possibility to focus totally on CFD.
“CFD is developing at a rapid rate, and we must recognise that. Obviously what we’d like F1 to do is embrace the latest technologies, and cutting edge technologies, which is what CFD is. We want to encourage people to consider using it.
"It’s not compulsory by any means, it’s just to give another variation in terms of aero development. Not everybody might want to go down that route. If you have a wind tunnel you might want to stay with wind tunnels.”
A focus on CFD would represent a significant cost saving: “There are at least four teams in the pitlane who don’t have their own wind tunnels and are renting them, and we believe that in the foreseeable future – in three years or a bit more maybe – there is a possibility that CFD could become the primary or only aero programme. It is a significant saving. For a team in our position it would be many millions.”
Total reliance on CFD was previously tried by the Manor team when it was launched under the Virgin Racing name in 2010. Then technical boss Nick Wirth was convinced that it was the way forward, although history has proved that he was a little too ambitious. However, CFD technology has moved on rapidly since then.
“It was a very ambitious move at the time from Virgin. Obviously it was the right direction, but too early. Like many things, you’ve got to get the technology right.
“We’ve worked for a number of years with restrictions on use of wind tunnels, and no question it’s saved money. Like all technologies CFD is developing all the time, and we have to re-evaluate every so often. I think it’s an appropriate time to re-evaluate.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Magnussen hopes for swift Renault decision amid uncertain future
Next article Manor says “solid midfield team” goal viable in two-three years
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Adam Cooper
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Formula 1
Formula 1
Japanese GP
RB: Tsunoda “mentally on a different level” in 2024
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Formula 1
Formula 1
Andretti planning F2 and F3 entries to promote US talent to F1 team
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
Formula 1
Formula 1
Andretti F1 team formally opens new Silverstone facility
More from
Force India
Otmar Szafnauer reveals failed Kimi Raikkonen bid involving "Angry Birds" founders
Formula 1
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Otmar Szafnauer reveals failed Kimi Raikkonen bid involving "Angry Birds" founders
Esteban Ocon explains why he collided with Sergio Perez so often at Force India
Formula 1
Formula 1
Esteban Ocon explains why he collided with Sergio Perez so often at Force India
Former Force India F1 boss Fernley dies aged 70
Formula 1
Formula 1
Austrian GP
Former Force India F1 boss Fernley dies aged 70
Latest news
Winner and losers from MotoGP’s cancelled Australian GP weekend
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 min
Winner and losers from MotoGP’s cancelled Australian GP weekend
Inside COTA's Turn 1 clubhouse and its plans to build a second track
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
19 min
Inside COTA's Turn 1 clubhouse and its plans to build a second track
Max Verstappen puzzled by Q3 grip loss, but Austin shows how far Red Bull has progressed
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
Max Verstappen puzzled by Q3 grip loss, but Austin shows how far Red Bull has progressed
Carson Hocevar says Zane Smith feud is "pretty one-sided"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
3 h
Carson Hocevar says Zane Smith feud is "pretty one-sided"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe