F1 likely to ban wheel fairings for 2010

[John S]

Formula one is looking to ban wheel fairings for next season, Williams' Technical Director Sam Michael revealed at the Nurburgring.

With efforts to alter the cars to improve the likelihood of overtaking drawing a mixed analysis so far, the Australian said recent studies have shown wheel covers are proving problematic.

"One of the things that have been discussed for next year is to remove wheel fairings and not have static or rotating wheel fairings," Michael said.

He said Computational Fluid Dynamics studies in recent months showed the wheel appendages have ‘quite an adverse effect on the following car’. However, Michael said banning the covers will not be a silver bullet. 
 
"It is the sort of thing where you need to find three or four little things like that and that will add up to a difference," he said, "so I think it is going in the right direction but it just needs more".

© CAPSIS International

[Scott]

I hate the hubcaps, the things look ugly.  Good riddance.  And if it helps overtaking, then all the better.

[Jericoke]

I'd like the new rules to get away from what bits you can put on a car, and start regulating the aerodynamics as a whole.  I'm not versed in fluid dynamics, but there must be a way to put a limit on turbulance behind/beside the cars.

Then do whatever you want, as long as you're not interfering with nearby cars.