IndyCar: Aero kit rules could be opened up

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IndyCar has revealed the first images of the aero parts that teams will be allowed to develop during the 2015 season.

As the accompanying images show, the "boxes" that are open for aero kit development are substantial. 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 program manager Chris Berube said 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 finalizing 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."

Originally on Autosport.com