F1: Button backs ground effect aero idea

McLaren driver Jenson Button has endorsed the possible return of ground effect aerodynamics to Formula 1 in 2017.

As part of the Strategy Group's goal to have lighter and faster cars in F1, and better racing, a proposal focusing on ground effect underbodies was revealed during the British Grand Prix weekend. With teams invited to submit suggestions, Red Bull flagged a fundamental switch in how downforce is generated, moving away from complex front and rear wings to underbodies.

As used by GP2, a longer underbody tunnel would be a throwback to the ground-effect cars from the late 1970s (pictured: 1979 Long Beach GP start) and early '80s, less sensitive to running in dirty air.

The Strategy Group had previously announced plans to revert to a wider rear tire – 420mm, a size last seen in 1992 – in 2017 which would increase mechanical grip.

"It's good to see a lot of new ideas for the future – I wish they were next year rather than 2017," Button said.

"I like the idea of making the cars lighter – they become more nimble, they become less lazy; more mechanical grip is always good for racing, because it doesn't hurt overtaking. And if you're going to work with downforce it should come from the floor rather than the wings, because you can race closer and fight, and you don't have as much dirty air from the wings for the car following."

While Red Bull was behind the initial ground effects suggestion, team principal Christian Horner isn't convinced by a separate proposal from an independent team for standardized floors.

"The regs are pretty tight as they are, so we wouldn't want to go anywhere near making it standard," he said. "It wasn't a proposal from Red Bull. I don't think it would do anything, the cost of the floor is pretty marginal at the end of the day, the floor around your gearbox and engine installation has to be unique."

Former FIA president Max Mosely led calls earlier this year for teams to be given greater technical freedom, in exchange for committing to a budget cap, which Horner also debunked.

"I don't think so," Horner, said when asked if a two-tier structure would work. "There has been a proposal for a budget cap but complete freedom of wind tunnel use and testing – but that's a bit like putting an alcoholic in a wine cellar."

Originally on Autosport.com