Composite bonnet denied for new Ford Falcon FG X

The V8 Supercars Commission has turned down a request from Ford Performance Racing to use composite bonnets on the new Ford Falcon FG X, set to debut next season.

The reason for the request from FPR on the composite bonnet is that the FG X model runs a steel bonnet and bootlid, compared to the aluminum bonnets of the Holden, Nissan, Mercedes and Volvo competitors.

There was controversy on the subject last year already as Ford struggled to get the Falcon to the minimum weight of 1,400 kilos, causing the Commission to raise it to 1,410 kilos. FPR continued to push on the subject after the change as the other manufacturers were below 1,410 kilos and were able to place ballast weight lower down in the cars.

“It is something we would like to change to but we haven’t got the powers that be to agree to that yet,” said FPR team manager Tim Edwards to v8supercars.com.

“It doesn’t make any sense … to have a minimum front guard weight of 1.5 kilos and to achieve that we are all attaching penny washers to our front guards. Then, the piece (bonnet) that connects the two front guards that sits above them can vary by five to eight kilos.

“It’s not like we are trying to get an advantage there, all we want is equality. We have a minimum front bumper weight, we have a minimum front guard weight, but for the bit that pins all three of those together over the top to vary by such a huge amount doesn’t make any sense.”

The V8 Supercars Director of Sports, Operations and Sanctioned Events, Damien White, confirmed the rejection of FPR’s request.

“Tim obviously sits on the Commission, and as the principal of the Ford homologation team (FPR), it was right for him to present the case, however the submission was rejected. The technical department has a voice within that process, however we must apply what is ratified by the Commission,” said White.