When is a bargeboard not a bargeboard? When it isn’t in the bargeboard area? This is not replicating the bargeboards, if anything it replicates the flow conditioners / streaks on the floor… It isn’t doing the job the bargeboards were doing.mwillems wrote: ↑19 Feb 2022, 00:02Well it is a blunt force bargeboard in all but name, which they are trying to move away from and everyone knows they are trying to prevent, it's not the same as using the sidepods, it sits further forward and conditions the flow lower down in exactly the area the bargeboards used to be. If it is allowed in then well done, great interpretation. I doubt other teams didn't see it but chose to not push it or to see if someone else tries it, but Mercedes rolled the dice on this one and are testing the waters nice and early.SmallSoldier wrote: ↑18 Feb 2022, 23:59Yes, Piola is not seeing it is illegal… But that in his opinion is going against the spirit of the rules… But, what is going against it? That they are pushing air outwards potentially with the wavy floor? Every team is doing that in one way or another… Pushing the tire wake outwards continues to be the name of the game in F1.mwillems wrote: ↑18 Feb 2022, 23:46https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/video ... content=it
The headline is Piola: Mercedes already puts the new rules in crisis. Not directly claiming it is illegal in the headline at least but he's right, it's directly challenging what is right and wrong, and most likely revealed at this early stage to ensure they can make changes in time for the start of the season.
There is going to be a reaction to this and the reaction is likely to shape the future of this Formula.
Furthermore, the teams have been discussing their solutions with the FIA to ensure legality, so I doubt there is anything “illegal” about it… The one thing that I find interesting is that they already brought a solution such as that one last year since testing, but they drop it with their upgrade package at Silverstone.
it's no coincidence it is blunt force, it is introducing a concept and seeing how it washes, but there is no reason this area can't do a lot more and that is what would undermine the intention of the rules.
When is a bargeboard not a bargeboard?
We will need someone way smarter than me (and knowledgeable) but I don’t even think this is to push the front wheel wake away from the car, it is simply a device to “seal the floor”… I’m sure we will see a lot of teams do this in different ways (the Alfa Romeo that was on track, was showing something of the like)