FIA mandates for the V8 a minimum weight of 95 kg (without liquids, exhausts and lot of things specified in the rules), so that’s going to be heavier than a V10 (best engines should be all under 90), hence in term of longitudinal CG position there’s a good chance that what the few cm they gain from the shorter engine cg they lose because of the higher weight (that obviously also has an influence on the ballast), possibly a small difference overall. That about the engine itself. Then there are reports that there will be some issues about installation of accessories, no more possible inside the V due to the vibrations.
The wheelbase depends mainly by tyres characteristics (that should change little) and weight distribution, hence I don’t expect big variations.
Fuel tank is an interesting point. With a lower fuel consumption there are two possibilities : reduce fuel tank size and keep same strategy or keep the same tank size and increase stint length. A predominant role in this decision will be, again, related to the tyre. Surely 2006 tyres will have lower degradation than 2005 tyres but the point is, by how much ? And how much they will suffer the higher fuel load ? The answer to these two, and similar questions will guide the tank size choice. Hopefully, at least judging by the qual proposal for next year, the BS of qualifying with fuel load will soon be just an insane parenthesis I will be happy to forget.
What I expect to change considerably, as others said, will be the aero of the rear end and of sidepods, for at least three reasons, two directly related with the engine, size (of both engine and radiators) and reduced power (hence the “fit a wing wherever you can, we don’t care about drag” approach will no longer work), the third with aero rules. It will be the second year with the new aero rules and traditionally it’s the period with the most interesting designs because now teams know better where to play and correct the mistakes they made this year when it was mainly about “experimentation”. Then in 2007 they will know better about the advantages that the V8 gives in aero leading to even more interesting designs. The next two years should be very exciting in term of aero design.
MRC wrote:
First to second gear is amazing but next gear is totally different he said.
Unsurprisingly I would say, under 160-170 km/h (just an indication, real numbers depends by many things, especially aero setup), a F1 car acceleration is limited by tyre grip, with both V8 and V10 there’s enough force at the wheels to overcome the grip at low speed so the driver doesn’t feel difference in the first couple of gears simply because there isn’t.
DaveKillens wrote:
I don't like that, where true innovation is being strangled, with the emphasis on just refinement. That's what happens in NASCAR..
if it was just the v angle... there’s lot more than that in the 2006 rules... maximum bore, fixed cylinder spacing, fixed cg height, minimum weight and so on... it almost hurts when you read them.