The FIA issued a critical technical document ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, clarifying aspects of permitted diffuser designs.<\/p>\n
The governing body has moved to shut down increasingly elaborate diffuser designs, with a technical directive issued to the teams to clarify new permissions related to the trailing edge winglets and stays.<\/p>\n
FIA issues key technical clarification over diffuser design<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a\u00a0preferred source on Google<\/a>\u00a0to your favourites list for news you can trust.<\/p>\n The FIA has moved to clamp down on complex diffuser designs that had started to emerge as teams began to roll out with updates to their cars.<\/p>\n The clampdown has been effected by way of an official clarification document, which has traditionally been known as technical directives \u2013 this terminology has now been phased out along with the streamlined rulebooks and the tweaks have been confirmed to the teams by way of an \u2018FIA F1 Document\u2019 number 104.<\/p>\n The clarifications pertain to Article C3.2.6 of the technical regulations, which covers \u2018fillet and edge radius\u2019 of the trailing edges of the diffuser.<\/p>\n The matter is said to have been brought to the FIA\u2019s attention by way of a standard querying of a design, with Ferrari understood to have sought clarity on the diffuser design of the Mercedes W17 as well as proposing a new design of its own.<\/p>\n More on F1 technical developments<\/p>\n Red Bull unleash massive seven-part upgrade blitz for Austrian GP<\/a> While the FIA has had an open mind to the trailing edge designs around the stays as the teams have sought to use the area for aerodynamic load gain, the increasingly imaginative approaches from some of the teams had become a concern and, following Ferrari querying its own design, which is said to have seen the introduction of \u2018spikes\u2019, the FIA has moved to simplify the areas of permission.<\/p>\n This coincides with the FIA seeking to generally ensure downforce levels don\u2019t climb excessively this year, with a desire to reduce downforce levels next year alongside the tweaks to the power unit formula.<\/p>\n While Ferrari\u2019s proposed design may have been the straw that broke the camel\u2019s back to cause the governing body to issue a clarification, the Scuderia has not been required to make any changes to its current solution: only Mercedes and Racing Bulls are understood to have fallen into the net of what the new clarification requires, and to have been required to make minor changes for this race weekend.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our\u00a0broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a>\u00a0to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the\u00a0PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a>\u00a0for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n
Valtteri Bottas puts a figure on Cadillac\u2019s major Austria upgrade<\/a><\/p>\n