GreenBkk Formula 1 | Lowe confident moveable rear wings will be a hit

Lowe confident moveable rear wings will be a hit

Paddy Lowe is confident moveable rear wings will improve the show © Getty Images

McLaren's engineering director Paddy Lowe is confident moveable rear wings will improve racing in 2011, even if there are a few teething problems to start with.

The device will work by allowing a driver in a chasing car to cut his rear wing's drag when within one second of the car in front. The FIA will restrict the use of the wing to just a certain section of a single straight on each individual circuit, giving it some control over its use.

Earlier this week Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said he is "a bit sceptical" about the new rear wings and "wondered" if they would make racing "too predictable". The possible problem is that overtaking becomes too easy and focused on just one part of the circuit, or that drivers wait until the last lap to make a move knowing they can get past without the other driver being able to respond.

"I think there aren't any grey areas to be clarified because the rule is clear and has been written down and stated," Lowe said in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in. "What's less clear is how that will pan out and what the effect will be in a race. I think that is something we are going to have to see and explore through the season. It could be quite exciting I think."

He said that by controlling the length of the straight the wing can be used on, the FIA will be able to iron out any issues.

"The one control that the FIA has is, for each race circuit, they can set the point in the deployment straight that the driver can first press the button," Lowe added. "So, for instance, you might be able to press it for the last 300 metres of the main straight until the braking point. I think the FIA have it within their power to manage the situation so that the authority of the system is making sense. That may take one or two races to settle down, but they can lengthen or shorten that amount of straight on a race-by-race basis, so I think that will give some ability to make it work in the way we intended."

Credit: ESPN F1 (espn.com)