GPWizard F1 Forum

F1 News & Discussions => Pit Pass => Topic started by: John S on April 22, 2014, 07:54:38 PM

Title: Blown wheel nuts Ferrari's big F1 improvement in China?
Post by: John S on April 22, 2014, 07:54:38 PM

Has Maranello perfected last year RBR & Williams trick?  ;)     

Ferrari made a step forward at the weekend to close in on, or possibly even pass, Red Bull as the second quickest team in race-trim after Fernando Alonso took third behind the Mercedes duo.

One of the noticeable upgrades was the Italian team's blown front wheel hubs. This certainly isn't a new concept, with both Red Bull and Williams using similar systems last year.

However this year, both have dropped the innovation. Not because it doesn't work, but because the FIA introduced tighter wheel-nut regulations to include a fail-safe should a wheel not be secured properly. This rendered both Red Bull and Williams solutions unusable without major redesigns - of which they're most likely working on.

Ferrari have managed to design their blown-hubs with the fail-safe included - the idea is actually believed to have come from Lotus after Ferrari signed their head of aerodynamics, Dirk de Beer, late last year. Lotus are expected to race their version soon.

- See more at: http://www.f1times.co.uk/news/display/08795#sthash.UbrSfd6v.dpuf

Title: Re: Blown wheel nuts Ferrari's big F1 improvement in China?
Post by: F1fanaticBD on April 28, 2014, 12:42:45 PM

I think the improvement of Ferrari's fortune has more to do with China's track layout, rather than its upgrades. As it has been known in the paddock that Bahrain & China lies in completely opposite direction in terms of car set-up, and Ferrari has always done good in this track, so I think Ferrari's rapid improvement will diminish once again European season get in, so these are I am afraid Ferrari's boost up for its fan, in reality its still lingering behind the Red Bulls and is way back from the all conquering Mercedes