New rules are likely to make overtaking much easier

MOTORSPORT's governing body, the FIA, is poised to introduce sweeping changes to the technical rules governing the design of Grand Prix cars in an effort to liven up the racing and produce more closely contested events than Sunday's processional British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

FIA president Max Mosley yesterday conceded there is widespread concern within the sport about the lack of overtaking, and although imaginative camera work continues to sustain the sport's television appeal, he acknowledges that the paying spectator has had a poor deal of late.

"These problems are clearly cyclical to some extent," said Mosley. "But for the past 18 months we have been working hard to overcome the difficulty faced by one car which is obviously faster than another which it is trying to overtake."

This problem was graphically illustrated in Sunday's race at Silverstone when Mika Hakkinen's McLaren Mercedes which eventually finished third, had considerable difficulty lapping the much slower SauberFords of Heinz Harald Frentzen and Johnny Herbert. Although Hakkinen later complained of poor flag marshalling, the fact remains that the McLaren was lapping almost two seconds per lap quicker than the Saubers.

"The difference in performance required before one car can easily overtake another is currently too great," agreed Mosley. "If one car is perhaps two or three tenths of a second slower than the car behind, then it is legitimate if its driver tries to hang on in front, but when it is two seconds a lap slower this is just not acceptable.

"The teams agree with this view and the FIA, in co operation with all the leading Formula One engineers, has a development programme in hand.

"We are considering proposed changes to the aerodynamics in order that the traditional technique can be revived whereby a faster driver can get close enough to the car in front coming through a corner so as to have a chance of executing a serious overtaking manoeuvre by the end of the following straight.

"There is also the question of opening out braking distances to enhance the possibility of passing. We think we know what to do in terms of modifying the rules."

Much of this development work is being carried out by the FIA with quarter scale, quarter scale models of F1 cars in sophisticated wind tunnels.

In particular, tests are being carried out with two models positioned nose to tail in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the effect caused by aerodynamic turbulence when one car is following another very closely.

The biggest problem with today's Grand Prix cars is that the rear wings divert airflow from the front aerofoils of a pursuing car, causing it to lose grip and start sliding out of control when it gets too close in a corner. Some leading Fl designers believe that the answer is to legislate for smaller nose wings in conjunction with curved sidepods similar to those employed on the US Indycar scene.

The design of some modern F1 circuits is also regarded as a problem as many of them are insufficiently endowed with quick corners and long straights, elements widely acknowledged, as crucial in producing close racing. Silverstone, in particular, is mindful of this problem and plans to make changes over the next few seasons designed to address this shortcoming.

However, another problem is clearly seen to be the engineering excellence of the current Williams Renault package which proved consistently the car to beat over the past four seasons. Mosley also feels that the processional nature of the past three races in particular has been exaggerated by the spate of technical problems which have caused the retirement of Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine in their Ferraris.