From the "It just keeps getting better and better" Dept.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/formulaone/29840/

The F1 teams have voted to use tires as the main way of cutting speeds
in 2007, and have turned down the opportunity to use safety as an excuse
to bring the engine freeze in a year early in 2007.

As reported earlier today, at a meeting of the FIA’s Technical Working
Group late on Saturday afternoon the question of how best to slow cars
was put to the representatives of the teams by Charlie Whiting.

And as expected, Ross Brawn put forward Ferrari’s view that an early
engine freeze, expected to include a rev limit of 19,000rpm, was the
best method to do this. Ferrari was duly supported by “FIA friendly”
teams Renault, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Midland. However, an 80%
majority is needed to carry a vote, and the 5:6 split did not do that.
Toyota was thought to be wavering, but in the end did not back the plan.

Similarly the teams rejected an attempt to bring in yet another package
of aero changes, with only four voting in favor. Instead attention
turned to the logical solution of making the tires slower, something
which will not be a problem with a Bridgestone monopoly. That idea did
get enough support.

Crucially, as rumored earlier this weekend it will go hand in hand with
a complete ban on tire-warming devices of any kind. This will in effect
help to force Bridgestone to make tires that are not as quick, and it
will also reduce the problems that drivers face when pressures drop
under safety cars, because the tires will be made to cope with such
conditions – as they are in Champ Car and IndyCar racing, for example.

Bridgestone is apparently keen on the idea, which will also reduces
waste. At the moment tires that are heated on a race weekend but never
take to the track are in effect unusable, because they have gone through
a heat cycle. If there are no heaters, unused tires can safely be used
at a later test or another race weekend.

In an attempt to gather data about slower tires Ferrari has apparently
tested GP2 compounds with F1 constructions.

--
Forty

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and
mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.” - Ernest Hemingway

"forty" <cforteNO (AT) SPAMgmail (DOT) com> wrote


The lack of tyre warmers should also lead to more interesting opening
laps...