Red Bull, Lotus to complain to FIA to reconsider decision on Mercedes’ F-Duct – Formula 1 news
Red Bull and Lotus have asked FIA to look into Mercedes DRS-activated F-duct.
The FIA has deemed Mercedes’ DRS legal, but rumours of an official protest are coming in as Red Bull and Lotus are asking FIA to reconsider its view.
The F-duct basically works as the rear wing makes use of a hole to help the flow of air to either of the wing itself and the diffuser as well to basically stall them from a straight-line trajectory speed boost. This in effect helps the car gain advantage
with the handling of the car much like the double diffuser and the exhaust blown diffuser banned by FIA for the 2012 season.
According to Autosport, it has been revealed that a representative of Lotus and Red Bull Racing approached the FIA’s head of the technical department Charlie Whiting to discuss the matter.
Although both outfits have refrained from making any comments over what was discussed in the meeting, but according to some sources, the issue has been raised around Articles 3.15 and 3.18 of F1 technical Regulations.
The article states, “With the exception of the parts necessary for the adjustment described in Article 3.18, any car system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited.”
Whiting though has maintained that he has seen nothing in the process of how the F-duct works that alerts him to outlaw the Mercedes wing and it is within the laws of the regulations set forth.
“What it appears some teams are doing is that when the DRS is operated, it will allow air to pass into a duct and do other things,” he explained. “That is all I can say - you will probably have a pretty good idea of what it might be doing, and other teams
will as well. But it is completely passive. There are no moving parts in it.”
Whiting may as well stick with his initial decision of stating the F-duct legal in which case Lotus and Red Bull will be left with the option of lodging a protest in complaint of the Mercedes wing after the qualifiers finish in Melbourne.
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