IN
THE
WIND
P26
AIR RESTRICTORS NOT THE ANSWER
F
ormer Aprilia Racing boss,
Jan Witteveen, believes the
best way to ensure performance
parity between the two and
four-cylinder World Superbike
machines in the future lies with
reducing fuel consumption.
Currently the Balancing Rules
of World Superbike dictate that
should Ducatis reach dominance
of similar levels we have seen
in the past, they will be forced
to use a 52mm air restrictor.
Should that domination continue
the restrictor diameter would
reduce, in 2mm increments, to a
minimum of 46mm.
"From a technical point of
view that is not a correct rule,"
said Witteveen of the air-restric-
tor rules. "From a sporting point
of view, if somebody is going too
fast then they have to go slower,
for competition. I think the cor-
rect way could be to cancel
air restrictors and use the fuel
consumption as a method for
comparing the two cylinders and
four."
Currently the limit is 24 liters
(roughly 6.3 gallons) for all, but
reducing that to control one
manufacturer's dominance if
needed is Witteveen's precept.
There is also a spin off that
could potentially benefit the
entire World Superbike pad-
dock, however, and its place as
the last remaining championship
where each manufacturer has
the ability to play with their own
electronics at world level.
It has all got to do with road-
bike development via World
Superbike, and the need for
reduced fuel consumption in the
future, argues Witteveen.
"Now we have Euro 3 emis-
sions and soon we go to Euro 4.
It is more difficult for the tuners
of course to do it with fuel reduc-
tion, but for the companies—I
see also more interest from the
companies in World Superbike,"
Witteveen said. "MV Agusta and
Aprilia came back, and next year
Yamaha will come. This is more
interesting from the companies'
point of view as they have more
work to do, but they will benefit
from that.
"The manufacturers can
create technologies for fuel
consumption reduction. Also, in
the future for Euro 4 or a Euro
5 emissions you have to reduce
[fuel consumption] anyway for
the production machines."
Gordon Ritchie
Former Aprilia boss
Jan Witteveen with Max
Biaggi at the Malaysian
250GP in 1996.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
