IndyCar could open up aero kit rules for next year
IndyCar has revealed images of the aero parts that teams will be allowed to develop during the 2015 season
The series is in the final stages of revising the development plan for aero kits to allow manufacturers more flexibility in the way they are permitted to introduce updates. The red sections in the diagrams show the elements that can be changed on the standard Dallara chassis under the aero kit rules.
Under the original rules, once the aero kits had been homologated, the specification would have remained fixed until an update window opened at the end of the year.
However, with the kits expected to deliver a substantial performance upgrade, the series is looking at options to allow the same degree of change over a broader window of time.
As the accompanying images show, the 'boxes' that are open for aero kit development are substantial.
AUTOSPORT understands that any change to the update schedule will come at the request of the manufacturers, and will act as a safety net in the event that one manufacturer's kit proves to be at a measureable disadvantage when they are first rolled out.
Chevrolet's IndyCar programme manager Chris Berube told AUTOSPORT that with the window for initial track testing rapidly approaching, the feeling within his team is largely one of excitement.
"We're at a very intense part of the process in terms of finalising things, with the track testing window coming in a couple of months," he said.
"We understand how powerful an element the aero kit is to the performance of these cars, and with that comes a great deal of responsibility - not only are we delivering the engine, but also a good part of the aerodynamics.
"We take that seriously, and we have a team in place that's very capable, and we're anxious to see the results.
"It's that 'expectant mother' kind of feeling, where you're excited to see the outcome but you've still got to get through the process; it's not done yet."
Berube expects that the refinement of the aero kits will be an ongoing project.
"There's still going to be a learning process," he said. "There will be things we won't discover until we actually get it into a racing condition, just as there was with the DW12 a few years back.
"The [revised] regulations will allow some amount of change. Not a huge amount, but there will be some."
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