Hammerfist wrote: ↑16 Jun 2022, 19:48
Ryar wrote: ↑16 Jun 2022, 19:33
Hammerfist wrote: ↑16 Jun 2022, 19:18
First of all bacially all the teams have the problem, even Redbull does have it, it is just less than others.
Secondly if you understand how the basic ground effect works it requires the floor to have extremely low ground clearance. The less clearance the more suction is created and hence the more downforce. I think if they have to run 10mm higher they might lose quite a few points of downforce. But we shall see exactly how much. Again, I don't think it's a sensible decision.
I don't think FIA is asking Mercedes to run their car 10mm higher. FIA is simply trying to lay down rules that can stop vertical oscillations that every team has to follow. Mercedes need to figure out a solution to meet that requirement. Every other team has to meet that requirement to ensure driver safety, including Red Bull. If Mercedes has no engineering solution in this situation, other than rising the ride height, then that is what they need to do to meet the requirement and help their driver well being and safety. If other teams can meet that, then it makes no sense for Mercedes not to. Rules are same for everyone.
From the tweet detailing the directive:
"
If a team can't supply a setup deemed to be safe, they have to raise ride by 10mm. Cars will be disqualified. if still above the limits."
Rules are the same for everyone but still they banned engine modes when rules were the same for everyone to stop one team, they banned DAS to stop one team they banned FRIC to stop the same team and now they are making every team run higher to hurt one team. Yeah that's fair.
Highlighted the key statement there, which is what I mentioned in my previous quote.
Engine modes and DAS were banned because they were a violation of parc ferme. FRIC was banned as it was aiding aerodynamic advantage and as the rules say, suspension cannot be used for aerodynamic purposes. Mercedes are not the only ones that have lost out on such directives. Red Bull in their dominant days lost out too on blown diffusers, flexible wings, flexible floor despite passing the load tests. It's normal that FIA wants to remove any trickery/innovation that provides unintended performance advantage. Even this year, if someone is going to be exploiting rules, I am sure FIA would clamp down on it.
The matter here is, one team is suffering from a bad design asking newer solutions to be allowed to cure their problem and/or asking for regulation changes (minimum ride height) that hurts other teams, which is quite absurd. This has no similarities with the other things that you mentioned above. Imagine if Renault and Ferrari would have asked to limit the Mercedes engine performance in 2014 because their engines had problems! That's how it sounds. Rules were changed to provide a free hand opportunity for others to develop their engines, not that Mercedes engine was curtailed.