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Transforming Formula One: 2014 Rules Explained by Red Bull

CreamK says...

What they meant by this is to use all power available. They got 100l of fuel to go full 1½h race. The fuel flow is limited to 100l/h. That means they need to use around 67l/h on average, this of course decreases during braking and is almost at max during acceleration. Also energy recovery and the release of that energy has some leeway to be used in different ratios, it is limited to 33s per lap. How that energy is divided, is up to the team.. So they will have the full boost of 160hp from ERS and full 100l/h fuel flow when using "push to pass" button but it's nowhere near the common definition of that function. Traditional push to pass is high boost, on 2014 F1 it means few percentages of power. The correct term would be "overtake mode".

RBR infringed fuel flow rule and no other team had been even warned, FIA has guidelines that teams should calibrate with enough margins to void minor differences between sensors. RBR refused to do this and counted on FIA not counting that marginal change. FIA had stated pre-season that in no case there will be extra fuel flow allowed, it's almost zero tolerance policy.

They've done this before, made a marginal rule infringement and got away with Charlie Whitings slap on the wrist:"change it to the next race".. Their camera mountings is already one of those little things that is technically legal and at the same is not.. It all depends if the TV crews can find a suitable camera. If they say "no", the rules are clear: they need unobstructed view.. That small hole hardly allow high quality picture, the only lens that could even remotely suffice is fisheye lens with a mask: it is not their standard equipment.. RBR most likely will have to change those too (imho, so should merc camera pods and mclaren parachutes too). Compare that to Williams 360 camera pod and it's pretty clear what FIA means by "enough room to fit camera" means.

Last year they had holes on the floor in monaco: ruling was, change them to the next race.. Then there was the TC scandal, RBR used illegal engine mappings.. They used them last year too when there was a ban of feeding fuel to exhaust during zero throttle to feed the blown diffuser: RBR chuckled and used them anyway.. They still have the duct inside the nose, it violates the intention of the rule but is legal technically. Of course the severity of the punishment is a clear sign: FIA just showed that no more of that bullshit, RBR has to start respecting rules.

oritteropo said:

Are you sure? The radio call to Bottas was "use your push to pass button"!

RBR have appealed, and claim that the sensor was wrong (and reckon they can prove it). That could go either way in the final wash-up.

Transforming Formula One: 2014 Rules Explained by Red Bull

CreamK says...

Not exactly.. It is limited by time and amount of energy. There is no "push to pass" button but they have some leeway on how to spread the extra energy around the lap. You can use it more on one corner but for the rest of the lap, you're total power output is reduced.

First race is now over, RBR got disqualified due to too much fuel was being fed to the engine... Also the dreaded "they will save fuel" phase was over in 10 laps. There were lots of technical DNFs, 14 cars made it to the finishline, which was miles better than worst fears. Some of the cars made their first race distance. But the main change was..

Almost unlimited torque at the low revs.. The cars were sliding, they were skittish, there were 3rd gear opposite locks.. They are once again more powerful than the grip what tires and aero can produce. Turns like T2 and T5 in Albert Park used to be "non-corners", they just pointed the nose to apex and floor it.. Now.. totally different thing. Even T9 exit was dangerous, which it hasn't been since 1999.

Eau Rouge will not be a flat out, easy corner but terrifying rollercoaster that eats lives if you don't respect it..

Only thing we lost is the sound, the new V6 uses energy so much efficiently that sound is not as loud.. On the plus side, you can hear the tires squeeling and the audience cheering. It's not V10 screech but low throaty roar.

Ickster said:

That's exactly how it's used.

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CreamK says...

Scarbs has been invaluable to us F1 fans, he along with Peter Windsor are both trusted all over the pitlane and gives us the small details that usually are not revealed. And both of them know how to keep confidentiality, good journalists.

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