Diffusers key to safety changes

The FIA's technical delegate Charlie Whiting presented a formal notice to the TWG at the meeting which gave them two months to produce 'satisfactory' proposals for a performance reduction or have a set of regulations imposed upon it for 2005 on 'safety grounds'.

Toyota's technical director, chassis, Mike Gascoyne, said: "It was a productive meeting. We came up with a couple of proposals to limit downforce looking at the diffuser area and I think they were the right changes, the right direction and certainly very significant.

"Quite a few teams have done quite a bit of work on it and achieved similar results. I think we are confident that we can achieve a significant reduction in aerodynamic downforce and an decrease in lap times. Also, I think the regulations we get from it will be tuneable each year."

Plans to reduce performance are based on a three-pronged attack, also involving engines and tyres and Gascoyne continued: "Tyres and engine are more difficult but again there were some proposals, not unanimously received, for increasing engine life."

Bridgestone and Michelin, meanwhile, continue to discuss the best way forward to limit tyre performance. The problem is that all three elements need to be imposed as a package, rather than in isolation and so agreement is needed across the board before a workable set of regulations allowing designers to get to work on 2005 cars can be agreed.

Renault's Bob Bell said: "The changes to the diffuser geometry were in terms of its height and the trim in front of the rear wheels. This should reduce overall downforce by 20-25%. I think it's a sensible step and a corollary benefit will be that with less downforce it should improve the possibility of overtaking."

As far as the impact of the changes was concerned, Bell added: "The primary effects will be to how we balance the car aerodynamically and also the mechanical design in terms of the rear suspension. This is basically designed to fit around the diffuser, and any change in the in rear suspension design also has an influence on the gearbox as well.

"Next year's car has been underway since last year and gearbox design should realistically be finalised by the end of this month. Formula 1 is conscious of the imperative to reduce costs, but also to make the show possible on a smaller budget. However, it is to the advantage of the teas with the biggest budgets for these changes to be made as late as possible in order to minimise their rivals' capacity to respond effectively.

"In a period where cost reduction is key, it would make little sense for development work and investment thus far to be compromised by unnecessarily late changes to the regulations. What we have discussed is still feasible now, but we are approaching the deadline by which proposals must become a concrete reality."