VALENCIA // Formula One can be perceived as a simple matter of driving around in virtual circles, but the sport's intricate complexities run deep - and there is no finer illustration of that than this weekend's European Grand Prix in Valencia. While the eyes of the sporting world are focused on events in South Africa at the football World Cup, the leading grand prix teams have been waging a constant evolutionary war.
There is no performance upgrade for championship leaders McLaren-Mercedes this weekend, but Ferrari, Mercedes GP and Renault have all been busy. Each has lowered their exhaust system, mimicking an idea pioneered by Red Bull-Renault at the start of the season. The benefits? Exhaust gases help to accelerate the flow of air over the car's rear floor - the aerodynamically sculptured diffuser - and create extra downforce that helps pin the chassis to the track. The downside is that this creates extra heat, which risks igniting the bodywork, but protective surface treatments are available to counter any such eventuality.
Confidentiality clauses prevent specific details being discussed in public, but British company Zircotec is one that supplies such materials. It has developed a zirconia-based ceramic coating that allows Formule One-style composites to function in temperatures above their melting point, a form of technology originally developed to manage heat in nuclear power stations. Additional weight tends to terrify Formula One technical directors, but in this instance it is a better option than spontaneous combustion - and in any case the extra ceramic layer adds only about 0.03 grams per centimetre.
McLaren and Williams are expected to adopt similar exhaust systems before the next round in Britain, while this weekend Red Bull has opted to race for the first time with a McLaren-style F-duct - the driver-actuated air vent that stalls the rear wing along the straights to reduce aerodynamic drag and increase top-end speeds, the one and only area in which the team has suffered against rivals so far this season.
Given their impressive display in qualifying on a track they were expected to struggle on, the benefits to the system have been immediate for the Birish team. Jenson Button, the McLaren driver, has spent much of the weekend in Valencia looking at what other teams have done since the last round in Canada two weeks ago. "There are lots of new bits on cars this weekend and if these trick exhaust systems provide as much extra performance as we think they might, then this will be a very tough race for us - although I still expect us to be competitive," the world champion said.
"The other teams are all playing around with the F-duct system, too, but we know you can't just stick these things on and expect them to work straight away." On the evidence of what we have so far this weekend, Ferrari and Renault have taken a significant step forward - but Red Bull remains the yardstick. There is more to this, much more, than simply driving around in circles. @Email:sports@thenational.ae
