Will F1 copy Champ Car yet again?

UPDATE This article outlines how F1, like the IRL, is set to copy the top ideas of Champ Car, a series that had it right technically, but got it all wrong when it came to marketing of the series and the selling of sponsorship.

07/05/07 Champ Car uses option tires. F1 has copied the idea.

Champ Car allows customer cars. F1 has copied the idea.

Champ Car mandates a spec ECU to control things like traction control. F1 is copying the idea.

Champ Car uses turbo engines, F1 is talking about using turbos in 2011.

The list goes on.

In an Autosport.com interview, Williams technical director Sam Michael has suggested that a reintroduction of ground effect cars could be the answer to improving the opportunities for overtaking in Formula One.

According to Michael, the return of ground effect – where a low-pressure area is created below the car, effectively sucking it to the road – is an idea worthy of consideration.

"When you have cars that create loads of downforce, it's pretty difficult to achieve passing," he said. "Going towards categories that have less downforce and power doesn't seem like the solution. Look at F3; it's the most boring racing you can ever watch. Reducing the downforce isn't the solution for F1.

"I do think you can benefit from following the experience F1 had in the 1980s of using ground effect more than we do now. The things that have probably made F1 worse is getting rid of ground effect, and lifting the front wing – it's gone up 150mm in the last five years. Both those things made the cars very sensitive to onset flow."

"Every time we've looked at doing that before, we've seen that it costs £2m to make two cars and everyone says they can't be bothered paying for that.

"I don't think it's too risky to go to a ground effect car. The OWG [Overtaking Working Group] proposal does not include adjustable wings."

Ground effect is currently featured in the Champ Car World Series, but flat undertrays were made mandatory in F1 since 1983.