GreenBkk Formula 1 | Domenicali sceptical about moveable rear wings

Domenicali sceptical about moveable rear wings

Stefano Domenicali: "Will this system make the duels more spectacular or too predictable?" © Getty Images

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has doubts about the new adjustable rear wing set to debut in Formula One this year.

Adjustable wings are being introduced to increase the chances of overtaking by allowing a chasing car to shed downforce and gain a straight-line speed advantage over the car in front. However, the use of the wing will be restricted to just one straight on each circuit and will only be available if the chasing car is within one second of its rival.

"I wonder, will this system make the duels more spectacular or too predictable? At the moment I'm a bit sceptical, but I hope to be wrong," Domenicali said. "I also hope that the TV feed finds a way to show on screen who has activated the mechanism and who hasn't, otherwise you won't understand a thing anymore."

Domenicali talked on a number of topics at Ferrari's annual media event Wroom, including rumours that rivals Red Bull broke the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) with the development of its 2010 chassis. The RRA was agreed upon by the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) in order to keep costs under control and limits the amount spent on chassis development, by deducting any overspends from the next year's budget.

Domenicali, who also revealed he is about to stand down as FOTA's vice president, said he has no reason to believe any team had broken the RRA, but said any irregularities would be looked into.

"The Formula One Teams Association has all the tools to manage the situation. We respect the rules that's all I can say."

He also addressed the widely-held assumption that Ferrari has the biggest chassis budget of all. The Italian team's total spend in 2010 was estimated to be $393 million, bigger than any other team on the grid, but Domenicali said such figures are not a fair representation as Ferrari also has an engine department to fund.

"Red Bull and McLaren spend more money on the construction of the chassis," he added, explaining that his rivals "buy" an engine while Ferrari builds its own.

Credit: ESPN F1 (espn.com)