Over the period of the Max & Bernie governance of F1 it has been interesting to watch the use of bans on particular forms of technology being used, mainly under the excuses of cost, safety and sometimes to suposedly improve the spectacle or competition.
There is a long list of technical developments that are, or could be associated with genuine motoring improvements that have been aborted in F1 while a whole range of useless outside F1 aero development has been allowed to continue.
One is tempted to search the share registers of Wind tunnel builders looking for names like Ecclestone, Moseley, Donnoly, Whiting etc.
Some of the items worth looking at in the M&B era are the banning of anything but 4 cycle power, anything other than poppet valves, variable valve timinng, electronic valve actuation, anything other than standard ECUs, CVT transmissions, Anti Lock brake systems, electronic stability or suspension control, variable ride hieght, regenerative braking systems (later revived in emasculated form as KERS) traction control, many forms of data exchange, mass damping, etc etc.
Instead of providing an overall framework within which inovative technology could thrivethe framework of F1 has been governed by a sort of control freak attitude of banning anything different.
This rant was brought on by checking on some Australian technology, the Bishop Rotary valve concept, which was due to debut in F1 around 1998 in an engine built by Ilmor.
The concept seemed to have finaly succeeded in making the long dreamed of rotary valve concept a practical working proposition using an alternative method of carrying the rotating assembly to avoid the problems of exhaust leakage and distortion. With the modern materials available by the 90's it seemed that this could be a practical proposition, and that F1 was the ideal laboratory for testing and proving the idea. While the project did not seem to offer an increase in power it did offer a significantly lighter and more compact engine with a much lower centre of gravity. Unfortunately
Max got wind of the project and banned it, and any other form of valves than poppet valves, on the grounds of cost. Ilmor at the time claimed that in fact over a season the rotary valve concept could offer savings but at the time they were in the process of becoming part of the Mercedes F1 development program so it was shunted off to a corner and forgotten about.
Now that Max has gone, and Bernie is becoming increasingly non compus I wonder if we will see F1 regain it's place as a leader in technology?
Which banned technology do you think F1 should revive to become interesting and relevant again?
Topic: F1 Technology bans. (Read 1018 times)
