Sauber rule-out double-DRS design for C31 due to huge costs – Formula 1 news
Sauber-Ferrari have ruled out the double-DRS design for their car C31 which have been introduced by Mercedes this year because of its huge costs.
Sauber chief designer, Matt Morris has expressed that they are focusing on the developments which can made with the use of reasonable resources while he said that at present they are not in a position to bear such high costs of double-DRS design.
“We have done some evaluation on it in the factory, but at the moment it's not really working for us in terms of cost versus performance. It doesn't really stack up for us at the moment. And beyond the cost versus performance issue, it's difficult to know
exactly the potential benefits and then it's only really useful in qualifying as well. It's definitely a few tenths of a second in qualifying, but to get that [benefit] so many parts in the car would have to be changed. That's the problem,” said Morris.
Furthermore, it was reported that the Swiss team have been running their car with the double-DRS in the in-season test held at Mugello circuit. However, Morris clarified that they were just evaluating the aerodynamics at the rear end of the car’s body.
It will be important to mention that the Brackley based had faced immense criticism over the legitimacy of its novel DRS-activated F-duct device, especially from Red Bull Racing and Lotus. Nevertheless, the innovative design was called as legal by the race
director of F1, Charlie Whiting.
On the other hand, the team principal of Mercedes, Ross Brawn said that their design is not expensive at all but only difficult to integrate into the current setups of the cars, which is causing problems for the rivals.
Mercedes are currently at the fifth position in the constructors’ championship with 37 points. Meanwhile, with the talented and experienced pair of German drivers, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, they are presently 6 points ahead of Sauber.
Nonetheless, both the teams are busy in making the necessary developments and the significant preparations so as to improve the pace of their cars in the races ahead to fight for a competitive position in this year’s championship.
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