F1: F-duct Systems Banned

McLaren introduced a car modification known as the f-duct aerodynamic system. This system allows vehicles to go faster on the straights by channeling air flow. This technology was also adapted by Ferrari. But the system came under fire and serious concerns were raised about its operation. The Ferrari version required the driver to operate it manually in his cockpit, meaning there were times when the driver didn't have 100% control over the steering.

A meeting was held before the Spanish Grand Prix and McLaren tried to convince other teams that this innovative technology should not be banned. But the rest of the teams voted against it. Red Bull boss Christian Horner said, "It is a clever piece of engineering and hats off to the guys who invented it, but some of the solutions this weekend look a bit marginal when you see drivers driving with fingertips and no hands. So I think there is a safety issue and a cost issue to take into account." Mercedes boss Nick Fry also added, "I, personally think that it is sensible to nip in the bud technologies that, on the face of it, don't really have a relevance for use outside F1. By the end of the year I know we, and I am sure most of the other teams, will have an F-duct on their car - and that neutralizes the advantage of having it. The engineers have already come up with ideas for next year that are zany in the extreme, and it is difficult to see how they would be used elsewhere. Plus they would be expensive. What we should be encouraging is stuff that we can be using elsewhere, and I am personally a big proponent of KERS because of that." Although Ferrari's Fernando Alonso said, "In the simulator we practiced with this method so that now it is automatic. But in the future we will find a more comfortable solution for the drivers."

Whatever the scene, the rules seem to be changing too often in Formula One (read Formula 1 News: Rules Changed Again), Ferrari and McLaren had made use of the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems in the 2009 season, and it was banned for this year's races, only to be reinstated back for the 2011 season. Brawn had successfully used the double-diffuser system at the start of the 2009 season, but earlier this year, teams voted to ban it. There seems to be the need to set long term rules, once and for all.