McLaren rivals working hard on F-ducts
Date published : 07 Apr 2010 - 13:59:01
Ferrari and Red Bull say they are working on introducing a McLaren-style F-duct' onto their respective cars as soon as possible, with the straight-line speed advantages the system gives now clear.The ingenious vent system pioneered by McLaren which is designed to stall the rear wing in order to reduce drag and increase top speeds has so far only otherwise been tried out by Sauber, the Swiss squad having experimented with its own system in both Australia and Malaysia.But with the device helping McLaren to currently enjoy a sizeable straight-line speed advantage over the field, its chief title rivals are now keen to get one of their own.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali says the development of an F-duct is one of his squad's top priorities.For sure we are working flat-out because we saw the benefits of this system being very big on the main straight in certain conditions, he said at Sepang. We will bring it as soon as everything is reliable and we are 100 per cent that the system will work.
Red Bull has also confirmed it plans to introduce the system onto its pace-setting RB6 although Christian Horner stressed that only when the team feels it has got the complex concept working perfectly will it be brought to a grand prix weekend.It's a tricky question, it will be incorporated into an update at some point, he said.The guys are looking at it.It's a complicated piece of technology, and it's important that you get it right.So we'll introduce it when we're happy with the solution.
While McLaren's venting system was given the green light by the FIA at pre-race scrutineering at the first race of the season in Bahrain, a further technical controversy has been brewing since then around an alleged ride-height control system on Red Bull's RB6.Some rival teams have called on the FIA to clarify the regulations amid speculation that RBR is able to lower its car to the ground for qualifying, the Milton Keynes-based outfit having claimed all three pole positions so far this season.
However speaking over the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, Horner remained adamant that no form of active suspension existed on the RB6 and insisted that if rivals developed such a system, as has been mooted, his team would challenge its legality.We haven't got one, he said.If McLaren have one in China, we'll protest them because theoretically they're illegal.The FIA had a good look at our car last night and are happy with it.They'll struggle to find anything because there quite simply isn't anything there.
