Tech chiefs downplay speed increase

  Improvements to tyres this season, allied to the switch to V8 engines, have changed the characteristics of many corners on the calendar - something which was highlighted last week when Silverstone earned rave reviews from drivers about some of its now flat-out sweeps.

But although the rise in cornering speeds has led to some concerns that it increases the dangers of the sport, technical chiefs believe the situation is well under control and not as dramatic as some people have made out.

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said: "I think you need to see some accurate data because cornering speeds are not way up at all.

"Obviously we don't have multi-usage of the tyres like in 2005, so yes they will creep up a little bit, but our data shows us that the speeds are not much different to what we were doing in 2004.

"I don't know about the others, but it is not a dramatic difference for us. The comparison to 2004 is a little bit different because the terminal  velocity on the straights is different, so the corner speeds are different."

Honda Racing technical director Geoff Willis added: "Well obviously we are a lot slower on the straights than in 2004 and 2005, so, with the lap times being remarkably close, we've certainly seen some corner speeds creep up, certainly in high-speed corners over last year.

"I'm sure a lot of the improvement is down to tyres. Our tyre partner has done a fantastic job and it's very impressive that the tyres are more  durable and still with more performance than in 2004 or 2005. Just consider that some of the tyres we use now could easily do a full race distance.

"On the question of safety, I don't think it's so much a point for the teams - it's something for the Technical Working Group to keep an eye on. It's certainly something that the FIA keeps an eye on.

"We reduced engine power and if the speeds of the lap times fall then speeds will go up. The nature of Formula One is to be competitive and drive speeds up, so every now and then, we have to re-set the levels for what's appropriate to the circuit design."