[forzaferrari]

   

[forzaferrari]

Ahead of the season finale, the FIA has issue a third technical directive relating to fuel flow.

The latest directive, which will not actually apply in terms of next week's race, advises that next season teams will be required to run a second sensor. The latest directive, the third in four weeks, follows that issued ahead of the United States Grand Prix relating to fuel flow, and a second issued ahead of last week's Brazilian Grand Prix warning that it is forbidden to direct flammable liquids from the intercooler, air inlet or ERS system to the combustion chambers of the engine.

The move comes at a time, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims that the FIA has "seized" parts of the fuel system from "one Ferrari, one Ferrari customer and one non-Ferrari", and that a "thorough investigation of the parts will be conducted in the FIA laboratories".

Despite Ferrari's continued denials, rivals are said to be concerned at the Italian manufacturer's significant improvement in pace since the summer break, though it is Red Bull that has been instrumental in causing the FIA to act on the suspicions.

Reacting to Max Verstappen's claim of "cheating" in Austin, team boss, Mattia Binotto insisted that the team's poor performance was unrelated to the initial directive, while in Brazil he claimed that "we didn't change nothing", the use of the double-negative only increasing the suspicions of sharp-eyed Pitpass readers

The directive issued yesterday, stipulates that a second fuel-flow sensor must be fitted from next season and that this will be controlled exclusively by the FIA.

Currently all cars feature a single sensor in the fuel tank which ensures that the maximum fuel flow rate is restricted to 100kg/h, in accordance to the rule which states that "any device, system or procedure the purpose and/or effect of which is to increase the flow rate or to store and recycle fuel after the measurement point is prohibited".

[forzaferrari]

Valtteri Bottas will start Sunday's season-ending Abu Dhabi GP from the back of the grid after collecting rare engine penalties for F1's world champions. The Finn suffered Mercedes' only mechanical-related retirement of the season at the last race in Brazil and that has resulted in the team installing a fresh power unit for the season finale.

[PapaofGags]

Sebastian Vettel will not be in Abu Dhabi to face the media ahead of the season-ending race at Yas Marina, as he has become a father for the third time.

Vettel's wife Hanna has given birth to their third child, with Vettel set to arrive in Abu Dhabi late on Thursday.

[forzaferrari]

Sebastian Vettel will not be in Abu Dhabi to face the media ahead of the season-ending race at Yas Marina, as he has become a father for the third time.

Vettel's wife Hanna has given birth to their third child, with Vettel set to arrive in Abu Dhabi late on Thursday.

Indeed, a boy this time

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Ferrari double wastegate pipes

   

[Monster Hesh]

fascinating stuff, these fuel flow directives. Really seems to have had effects, still to see some real analysis though.

[Jody Barton]

fascinating stuff, these fuel flow directives. Really seems to have had effects, still to see some real analysis though.

I'll wait to see the outcome in Abu Dhabi, a track that should see Ferrari right back at the sharp end, but it does on the face of it seem to have really hit Ferrari's performance so far, but lets be clear it's hardly conclusive. They were stopped from oild burning and second oil chambers, so I wouldn't put it past them to do something similar elsewhere in the engine, but until the FIA "call it" we'll just have to trust that nothing dodgy is going on.

[forzaferrari]

RBR are running infrared cameras pointing at the tyres this weekend in readiness for the upcoming tyre test, anyone seen any other teams with them?

   

[PaddyB]

Nothing to do with the IR camera but I did chuckle when I saw the photo but more with respect to the mirror and its surrounding life support system. I'm sure this isn't the worst of them (perhaps we should have a thread with most obvious overcomplexity for stated function).

If the reality was that the "mirror functionality" was the important thing, F1 teams would have had a wide FoV camera or two seperate L/R cameras pointing from the rear and a display in the cockpit a bit like the new Audi mirrors and this would reduce drag.

The obvious reality is that they want the mirrors to be be where they are so that they have an excuse to get the setup to do do others things aerodynamically. Could the method for holding a piece of reflective plastic be any more complex or obviously not for the stated purpose?

I'm not having a go at RBR by the way as they all do it, I just think it is a small example of what some see as "innovation" when in reality it stifles some of the true innovations that would be useful in the real world.

[Monster Hesh]

Last Qually of 2019, enjoy folks!