Despite the young age of our site, we have already produced several articles on fins (see here, here et leaves) and, each time, we suggested to you that the life expectancy of the latter was undoubtedly limited, due to the potential danger they represented in the event of contact with a pilot.
Today a meeting of the Grand Prix Commission took place in Losail and, indeed, the problem was discussed there.
It follows that:
– In category Moto3, a manufacturer, in this case Mahindra, has already worked and produced fins. This investment will be reduced to nothing and, for the sake of fairness, all three manufacturers will be able to use wings this year. Nevertheless, they will be banned from next year.
– In category Moto2, no one showed up with fins and no one expressed the wish to use them. They are therefore banned from now on.
(editor’s note: We deduce that the pallets tested by the CarXpert Interwetten team on Dominique Aegerter's bike are not considered as fins per se.)
– In category MotoGP, the authorities are considering the two issues linked to the fins.
The first problem obviously concerns safety, and there will be precise regulations concerning the size and shape of these appendages, to prevent them from being able to injure a pilot.
The second is linked to the cost of developing these elements, since the studies and wind tunnel passages require a significant investment.
To avoid falling into the pitfalls of F1 where it was also necessary to regulate, the authorities asked the manufacturers to make a proposal so that the wings were not too expensive.
If the latter manage to agree on elements that are not dangerous and inexpensive, the wings will always have the right to quote in MotoGP.
This information was brought to everyone's attention by Hervé Poncharal on Eurosport.
