Forgot to highlight my latest Wired News column on Formula 1 and its proposed rule changes:
The other big problem in F1 (and where it pales in comparison to NASCAR) is the simple fact that there's not much passing in an F1 Grand Prix. A race without passing is more correctly called a procession, and doesn't make for compelling viewing.
The issue is that the exquisitely tuned aerodynamics of an F1 car are designed for clean, undisturbed air. But when you put one car behind another, the car in back has to deal with the huge turbulence kicked up by the leader, and its handling and speed degrade dramatically.
Last week, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, which administers Formula 1, proposed a solution. It proposed a new design that incorporates a "Centreline Downwash Generating Wing." Instead of the traditional rear wing on the car, which generates "downforce" that helps keep the car on the road, the CDG wing design consists of two smaller wings over each of the rear wheels.
Lots of discussion on the story page....