Formula 1’s Strategy Group has asked technical bosses from each of the teams on the grid to look at ways of increasing overtaking as part of ongoing plans to revamp the sport in 2017.
Those plans centre around increasing the speed of the cars by increasing downforce, introducing wider rear tyres and potentially increasing the power of the engines to 1,000 horse power.
However the proposal hasn’t taken into account what impact it could have on overtaking, therefore the Strategy Group has asked that research be conducted on the matter, with a meeting to discuss ideas scheduled for August 18 ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
“It’s [overtaking] something we’ve not yet discussed,” admitted Force India technical director Andrew Green. “There was supposed to have been a meeting before the summer break, but that was postponed, and it’s now the Tuesday before Spa,” he told Autosport.
“All I can say is the design we have on the table [for 2017] is not necessarily something that would cover that.”
At present the cars struggle to follow one another closely because they’re so reliant on the front-wing for downforce, that when the air is disturbed ahead, the car loses overall downforce and it can’t keep pace.
One idea which is expected to be tabled is the return of ground effect. The advantage of this is that downforce is created along the entire length of the floor and the car is less reliant on its front-wing, therefore dirty air isn’t such a problem.
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