The Formula One Teams Association (Fota) has agreed to ban the controversial so-called ‘F-ducts’ on all cars from next season, following a meeting at the Spanish Grand Prix.
This became clear on Monday when team bosses confirmed the move to reject the system that allows a driver to divert air flow through the cockpit to ‘stall’ the rear wing and so increase straight-line speed.
McLaren, the team that introduced the system, argued to keep it, but a clear majority — including teams that have tried to copy the McLaren system — voted against it.
Ferrari ran their version of the system at the Circuit de Catalunya where two-times world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso was at times seen making adjustments to the settings — and effectively driving with one hand, and sometimes no hands, at 250 kilometres per hour.
The Sauber, Williams and Mercedes teams had also introduced copy-cat versions of the system but it was thrown out on safety and cost grounds.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner, whose Australian driver Mark Webber dominated Sunday’s race to claim a stunning victory, said his team were still looking into the system, but were concerned about costs and safety.
He said: “It is a clever piece of engineering and hats off to the guys who invented it, but some of the solutions this weekend look a bit marginal when you see drivers driving with finger tips and no hands.
“So I think there is a safety issue and a cost issue to take into account.”
Earlier this season the teams agreed also to outlaw ‘double diffusers’ for next season. — AFP