Saturday, March 26, 2011

Movable Rear Wing length changed

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FIA has given teams a headache by adjusting the length of the movable rear-wing zone on the eve of the first race in Australia this weekend.

The section of track on which drivers may activate the wing was set originally at 600 meters for race day, on the basis that the figure could be changed if experience in the early races proved that changes were necessary.

However, for the opening race in Melbourne, the sport's governing body has decided to make the “operational zone” more than 860 meters long. The zone now starts on the approach to the final corner, but obviously, drivers won't activate their wings until the exit, about 750 meters from turn one.

The difficulty for the teams is that they have done all their homework on the basis of the original 600-meter figure.

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner explained, “I only found out today. It's a pain because it screws up our simulations and affects gear ratios.”

The FIA had intended for the length of the wing zone to stay the same at all tracks to ensure that passing is not easier at places such as Monza, compared with other venues that have shorter straights.

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