Honda encouraged by IndyCar 2015 aero kit signs

IndyCar's technical department secured CAD designs for both manufacturers' kits prior to the January 18 homologation deadline, and HPD vice president and COO Steve Eriksen said he is encouraged by how Honda's aero package has performed during its development.

"We feel we've developed a very competitive Honda package for our teams, and we're looking forward getting on track and going head-to-head against Chevrolet in March," he said.

"Our testing results, on both ovals and road courses, have been very promising and have backed up the performance predicted through CFD and our other development tools."

Chevrolet IndyCar programme manager Chris Berube said that with homologation now complete, the challenge is to have the manufacturing side under control in order to ensure that teams receive the kits as scheduled on March 1.

"We're hot into the production side, which is an increasingly important step as well with some serious deadlines to meet," he said.

"It's a serious parallel path to getting the design finished and getting feedback from the track testing and turn the crank on any design issues that are discovered. Now it's real and you have to execute."

Unlike the engine homologation process, in which manufacturer-supplied parts are placed in a sealed container for comparison to existing components during the season, the manufacturers have only been required to supply CAD designs for aero homologation.

"What we didn't want was for them to produce parts only for us to ask them to modify those parts because they didn't meet regulations," said Tino Belli, IndyCar's director of aero development.

"That is why there is a gap between the presentations of the CAD to actually receiving the parts.

"We'll give them feedback, but we won't ultimately sign off on all the parts until measurements of the actual parts are completed.

"We'll check the weight of each part and by regulation every single bodywork component has to be able to fit the car all at the same time."

SOME UPDATES PERMITTED

Although the parts are homologated, manufacturers will be able to make limited updates within the regulations.

The sidepods and engine cover designs are frozen for two years, however manufacturers can homologate a new component in any one of three 'legality boxes' between the beginning of the 2015 season and the end of 2016.

The series has imposed a limit of three upgrades for each manufacturer during the two-year period.

Teams will use the previous Dallara bodywork for the season-opening race at Brasilia on March 8, with the new bodywork slated to make its first public appearance in the two-day test at Barber on March 16-17.

The road/street kit will then make its race debut in St Petersburg, with the oval kit to be rolled out at the Indianapolis 500.