Mansell and Williams won the 1992 championship largely thanks to their
perfection of active suspension, which allowed the car to effectively
balance itself through corners thanks to a computer.
It was outlawed after fears it was heavily distorting the competition, but it
is thought any return to the technology – which is being mooted for 2017 –
would be more to help teams make changes to car set-up more quickly and
cheaply.
The entire grid would be given an “FIA standard active suspension”. Along with
a host of other measures it is hoped that would reduce the number of staff
needed trackside during race weekends.
Other suggestions include reducing the number of gearboxes per season to four,
a further simplification of the front wing, as well as the lengthening of
the curfew on Thursday and Friday evenings at the track.
While the proposals – at this stage part of a three-year plan – are yet to be
agreed, Telegraph Sport understands that the FIA have already come up
with a number of draft regulations which will be put to the Strategy Group.
However, the plans will not be enough to placate a number of teams outside of
the sport’s top tier, who feel let down by the FIA’s abandoning of a cap.
Meanwhile, Ferrari has shown little sign of letting up in their criticism of
Formula One’s new era, describing it as a “form of self-harm”.
After what many thought was a thrilling race in Bahrain, it has published
comments on its website from Giovanni Malgo, the president of the Italian
Olympic Committee, who continues the team’s vocal disapproval of the sport’s
new direction.
“I speak on behalf of Italian sports people and fans, I don’t like this
Formula One and in my opinion it’s delivered a product that has absolutely
no sense,” he was quoted as saying.
“In my opinion, it’s a form of self-harm.
“I hope the people who run the sport look again at the rules because the
way Formula One is now, it has much less appeal and that’s a shame as it is
an extraordinary world.”