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Italian GP: Friday Press Conference

NEWS STORY
10/09/2010

A question to you all. Can you tell us about your Monza specifications? What have you changed? Are you running the F-duct if you have an F-duct?
Sam Michael: Our Monza spec is just for Monza really. We didn't actually put a lot of work into it as it is only one race, so we put a lot of our effort into the next race as it pays off for five grands prix rather than one. We are running an F-duct, so it was pretty clear from our work where our wing was. It was an easy decision to run an F-duct and the rest of the package is pretty standard, so it is just really tune of front and rear wings for this track level. That is what we did.

James Key: Similar situation to Sam really. It is a Monza specific package as it is such a unique circuit now, so a front wing to suit the circuit and a rear wing too which has also got an F-duct. We had the options of choosing either but as Sam rightly says it is the best thing to do if you can. We have evaluated it today and it seems to work, so happy with it.

Paddy Lowe: We have two new elements this year which is the much larger fuel loads than we have had before and we also have the F-duct element. You probably noticed we have been playing all the games today trying the combinations and we will make our choice tonight.

Adrian Newey: Same as everybody else really. We have the F-duct. It is a bespoke rear wing for around here. The front wing is a slightly trimmed down, modified version of our normal one.

Aldo Costa: No big differences compared to the others. Two solutions to be tested on the rear in terms of F-duct and again front wing developed for here and other modifications around the bodywork but nothing else.

Another question to you all. Are you happy about the new flexi-wing tests or should we have been looking more at the floors of the car? The amount that the nose moves and the floors as well.
SM: I think on the floor the new test is pretty vigorous. What they have done to create this 100 millimetres offset load means that if you had a bib or front edge of the floor that was very soft in torsion as you go over kerbs that wouldn't be possible to do anymore from Monza onwards and the front wing load test from our point of view didn't make any difference because it is only really a linearity test. There is potentially more to do on that if that's what the (becomes inaudible) deems the best thing to do. I think the floor has been tightened up significantly in my view.

And you are happy with that?
SM: Yes.

James?
JK: Similar situation again. The front wing was never an issue for us. As Sam says it is a linearity test. We checked our wings but it wasn't an issue, so it hasn't affected us really. On the floor it is tighter with the lateral loading test and we had to do a little bit of work just to make sure we were complying with that 100 per cent. But vertically it hasn't really affected us. It has tightened up and you can argue it is the right thing to do to be sure everyone is at the same level to a certain extent but for our side it is okay. We are happy with it and we are happy that we are compliant.
PL: I think in general it is better to have good clarity on the regulations and how they are policed. We were pleased with the changes. We have had to change our car in order to meet the new tests but we are happy with that.

And the floor?
PL: That is what I mean with the floor, really. The wing didn't make any difference to us.

Adrian?
AN: I thought the clarity in the regulation was fine but if there is a mood to change it is the same for everybody, so I have no problem with that. On the floor, we have had to change the front of the floor slightly to increase its torsion stiffness for this new test. It doesn't make a big difference I don't think. The front wing, that was introduced at Spa, that particular change, we didn't have to make any modifications for that because, as has been said, it is a linearity test. Our wing was linear, so there was no problem.

AC: For me it was already clear before all this saga. I don't know why this saga has been created. We disagreed about the comments that we heard. Okay, now we have got a slightly stiffer, let's say, front wing test because the references are from the reference plain and not anymore from the nose. We have got a more severe test on the front floor. We have done the modifications on the front floor that were required by the new test. But we didn't understand why this saga started, so we are still happy about what has been changed.

AN: That is really the thing. I would agree with Aldo. I don't know why this has all been started as the test has been as it has been for several years and suddenly there is a load of excitement. But, as I say, same for everybody. But I don't understand why it suddenly became a saga.

AC: We are also happy to further increase the stiffness if we want a front wing that is double the stiffness. It was discussed in the Technical Working Group to have, instead of 10 millimetres deflection, a five millimetre deflection but also engineers who were at this table they didn't accept to go for a five millimetre deflection.

AN: I think it was Paddy who suggested 10 millimetres.

PL: Yes, it was. Which it still is. It is still 10 millimetres.

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