The FIA has confirmed that any ride-height system, such as the one rumoured to be on the RB6, would be deemed illegal by the sports technical regulations.
In a letter sent to all F1 teams, the FIA clarified that any self-levelling system, used to regulate the height of the cars through qualifying and the race, would go against article 34.5 of the sporting regulations.
“Any system device or procedure, the purpose and/or effect of which is to change the set-up of the suspension, while the car is under parc ferme conditions will be deemed to contravene article 34.5 of the sporting regulations,” read the communication. The F1 Times
The letter added that the FIA believed “any self levelling damper system is likely to contravene (article) 3.15 of the technical regulations”.
Article 3.15 refers to aerodynamics while Article 34.5 states that a driver must start the race from the pit lane if any changes are made to the suspension of his car while it is held under parc ferme.
Parc ferme refers to the period after qualifying and before a race when the cars are effectively off-limits to mechanics.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said at the Australian Grand Prix that he believes Red Bull’s pace-setting form this season is being aided by a system that breaks Formula 1’s rules.
Whitmarsh, speaking well before the FIA’s statement was released, added that his engineers were racing to develop a system of their own and hoped to have it ready by next week’s race in China. BBC Sport
The clarification comes after Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner was forced to deny over the course of the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend that his team were using such a system to get the best out of the RB6 during qualifying.
Such a system would be beneficial as under current rules teams are not allowed to adjust their cars following the end of qualifying.
Any self-altering system would allow a team to gain more aerodynamic performance by running low to the ground in qualifying trim, but then raise the height of the car when it is running on a full tank of fuel on race day. The Press Association
| 
|