New F1 aero rules for 2009

Panasonic Toyota rear wing Toyota

On Wednesday the FIA World Council confirmed new aero rules for 2009, which were proposed by the so-called overtaking group comprised of Ferrari’s Rory Byrne together with Renault’s Pat Symonds and McLaren’s Paddy Lowe. The new rules should make it easier to follow another car and to overtake.

The technical directors agreed to proposals which are as follows:
– Front wing width increased to 180 instead of 140 cm.
– Front wing height decreased to 7.5 instead of 15 cm.
– The middle section over a width of 40 cm has to be a standard part.
– The driver may adjust the front wing flaps from the cockpit twice a lap by an angle of a maximum 6 degrees.
– Rear wing width 75 instead of 100 cm
– Rear wing height 95 instead of 80 cm.

The diffuser then starts from the centre of the rear axle rather than from the front end of the rear wheels. It may raise to 17.5 instead of 12.5 cm. The bodywork has to be clean. That means no barge boards, no winglets, no chimneys, no flipups.

Windtunnel research has shown that with the new rules the overall downforce loss will be 50 percent compared to the 2006 aero. If you follow another car within half a car length you will only lose 25 instead of 46 percent of the downforce and the balance shift will be 1 percent to the front rather than 4 percent to the back as it is now.