3.7.3
Forward
of a point lying 450mm ahead of the front wheel centre line and less
than 250mm from the car centre line and less than 125mm above the
reference plane, only one single section may be contained within any
longitudinal vertical cross section parallel to the car centre line.
Furthermore,
with the exception of local changes of section where the bodywork
defined in Article 3.7.2 attaches to this section, the profile,
incidence and position of this section must conform to drawing 7.
This section may not contain any closed channel the effect of which
is to duct air directly or indirectly to or from the external air
stream for any purpose other than data acquisition.
The
above ruling is in place to stop the transportation of air internally
(through tubing) to or from the nose to the bulkhead. This is to stop
teams influencing the Front Wing by use of ducting be it DDRS or
otherwise.
3.7.9
With
the exception of an optional, single piece, non-structural fairing of
prescribed laminate (whose precise lay-up may be found in the
Appendix to the regulations) which may not be more than 625mm above
the reference plane at any point, no bodywork situated more than
1950mm forward of rear face of the cockpit entry template may be more
than 550mm above the reference plane.
This article is
in regard to the modesty panel that the teams will now be able to use
in order to cover the step noses of 2012. The modesty panel is as
close to a spec part as Formula One goes and means that no one team
may glean an advantage by adopting the rules in a different context.

Above: Craig 'ScarbsF1' Scarborough's diagram above gives us an idea of what the Modesty Panel may look like
3.18.1
The
incidence of the rearmost and uppermost closed section described in
Article 3.10.2 may be varied whilst the car is in motion provided :
It
cannot be used to change the geometry of any duct, either directly or
indirectly, other than the change to the distance between adjacent
sections permitted by Article 3.10.2.
This line is
written in order to rule out the plunger affixed to the Mercedes WO3
Rear Wing Top Flap that exposes the ducting that allows Mercedes to
use DDRS. The way in which this is written however I believe still
leaves the door open for the Top Flap to expose ducting in the Rear
Wing Endplates like the ones I showed McLaren may be using at the
moment.
Above: Image mentioned in my article 'McLaren Low Downforce Rear Wing' showing how a duct to the endplate may be being exposed by the top flap moving under DRS
Interestingly the
following two articles in regards to DRS are not present in the 2013
regulations of which I'm sure is just a mistake:
3.18.2
Subject
to any special conditions relevant to a specific Event, details of
which the FIA will provide to each competitor at least one week
before the start of an Event, the adjustable bodywork may be
activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race.
In conditions of poor visibility however the race director may, at
his absolute discretion, disable all such systems until conditions
improve.
If
the adjustable bodywork is disabled in this way at the start of any
of the three periods of the qualifying practice session (Q1, Q2 or
Q3) it will remain disabled for the remainder of the relevant period.
3.18.3
For
the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the
race the adjustable bodywork may be activated by the driver after he
has completed two laps after the race start or following a safety car
period.
The
driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he
has been notified via the control electronics (see Article 8.2) that
it is enabled. It will only be enabled if the driver is less than one
second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions around
each circuit. The system will be disabled by the control electronics
the first time the driver uses the brakes after he has activated the
system. In conditions of poor visibility however the race director
may, at his absolute discretion, disable all such systems until
conditions improve.
The
FIA may, after consulting all competitors, adjust the above time
proximity in order to ensure the stated purpose of the adjustable
bodywork is met.
The
one thing that bemuses me about the regulations is in regard to
torque maps. The FIA went to great lengths in order to bring parity
to all teams by allowing teams a 2% tolerance from one of their first
4 maps of the year. The new regulations haven't been altered in this
department (Although the 2013 appendix aren't available yet and may cover this) and as such will the FIA do the same next year and allow
the teams to run anything in the first 4 races then choose their
tolerance map? If so I'd hazard a guess at some lairy torque maps
being worked on for the first 4 races of next season.
The other important aspect as far as I'm concerned is that the FIA are yet to try and rule out the usage of DRD (Drag Reduction Device - http://www.somersf1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/lotus-mercedes-drd-drag-reduction.html) This would require wholesale changes in the way the regulations read in and around the central portion of the Rear Wing which I think could be difficult for them to change.
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