F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Mercedes innovative DAS device banned for 2021

Mercedes' innovative Dual Axis System has been outlawed by the FIA for 2021, a move destined to protect F1 teams from a costly investment at a time of crisis for the sport.

The decision was approved by the World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday along with a raft of emergency measures justified by the global coronavirus pandemic and its financial impact on F1.

Among the rule changes for next season is the obligation for teams to carry over to next year their 2020 chassis designs, a decision that could have potentially allowed Mercedes to keep its DAS advantage.

The system, which allows drivers to tweak the toe angle of a car's front wheels, is an intricate part of the front suspension of the Silver Arrow W11.

However, Mercedes accepted not to fight the regulation change which bans its DAS.

"The re-alignment of the steered wheels must be uniquely defined by a monotonic function of the rotation of a single steering wheel about a single axis," stipulates the new article in the revised 2021 technical regulations.

"Furthermore, the inboard attachment points of the suspensions members connected to the steering system must remain a fixed distance from each other and can only translate in the direction normal to the car centre plane."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Heartbreak for Verstappen at the Nürburgring but ‘I’ll be back’

Max Verstappen’s bid to conquer the Nürburgring 24 Hours has ended in a cloud of…

2 hours ago

Button on racing’s mental toll: ‘As drivers, we’re flawed’

Jenson Button has offered a stark, unusually candid reflection on what really sits beneath the…

2 hours ago

Bearman admits F1 debut with Ferrari ‘was a crazy step’

For most young racing drivers, a call-up to Ferrari would feel like a dream. For…

4 hours ago

Verstappen leads Nürburgring 24 Hours in thrilling closing stages

With less than five hours remaining in the grueling Nürburgring 24 Hours, Max Verstappen has…

5 hours ago

Sainz samples new Madring: ‘You’ve created quite a cocktail’

The Spanish Grand Prix’s future home is still surrounded by construction barriers, deadlines and heavy…

22 hours ago

Ten years on: Marko reveals Horner resisted Verstappen promotion

Helmut Marko has revealed that Max Verstappen’s in-season promotion from Toro Rosso to Red Bull…

24 hours ago