8/2/2023 0 Comments F1 2017 rule changesThis year it introduced its euphemistically-titled ‘sliding scale of aerodynamic testing restrictions’ – a performance-balancing system for aerodynamic development which allows those who finish in the lower places to spend more time in the wind tunnel or on CFD runs than their more successful rivals. Recent changes in the F1 rules could play a role as well. The potential for some to get it right and others to get it wrong is undoubtedly there. Every team on the grid which haven’t been regular contenders for victory will see next season as an opportunity to close the gap to the front runners. This is almost certainly going to happen to some degree. Will F1 therefore see the field spread out again, much as it did in 2017, depriving fans of the competition we’ve enjoyed this season? Not only are the aerodynamic rules being overhauled again, but new wheel sizes are being introduced and suspension systems greatly simplified. McLaren have slashed their deficit to the leaders since 2018But another significant change in the rule book is coming next year. That performance gap explains why we’ve seen closer fights for the places immediately behind Red Bull and Mercedes this year, and why Alpine and McLaren have been able to grab opportunities to win (as Racing Point and AlphaTauri did last year). In 2021 five teams (half the field) are within one percent of Mercedes compared to just one last year and two in each of the four preceding seasons: The graph below shows each team’s average deficit to the quickest lap time in all race weekends since 2016. The field therefore closed up further still this year. Instead teams were required to keep their existing chassis with limited changes including aerodynamic modifications which – intentionally or otherwise – hit pace-setters Mercedes harder than the rest. The latest drastic overhaul of F1’s rules was due to arrive this season but was postponed by one year due to the pandemic. The latter enlivened the competition between 20 by taking the fight to Mercedes (albeit too often ineffectively in the latter season) before slipping back into the midfield following an FIA investigation into its power unit which prompted rules clarifications. Hamilton and Verstappen have been hard to separate this yearSince then the midfield teams have steadily made gains on the ‘big three’ of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. The most significant recent change in the rule book occured in 2017, when the cars and tyres were widened, yielding significant increases in performance. The closeness in the field has come about because F1’s regulations have gone without major change for four years. More than half of the field have taken turns leading a race – the most since F1’s last season with V8 power eight years ago. It is reflected in the fact a dozen different drivers have stood on the podium from eight different teams. Finally, the rear wing (9) is wider - up from 80cm to 95cm - with a bigger overhang.This is the most competitive field F1 has enjoyed for many years, certainly since the beginning of the V6 hybrid turbo era in 2014. Another proposal prescribes a minimum body width of 160cm at all points, which means the cut-out cannot be more than 10cm deep. Restrictions on floor surface area means that rearward of the front of the cockpit (5) the car cannot be the maximum 180cm wide for its entire length (6), so there must be a cut-out at some point (7). Meanwhile, the overall width of the car increases from 140cm to 180cm. This in itself is expected to make cars around three seconds per lap quicker. The tyres are wider, with tread width up from 24.5 to 30cm at the front (3) and from 32.5 to 40 at the rear (8). However, the wing’s new delta shape means the distance between the front tyre and the endplate (2) remains unchanged, as does the endplate size. Starting from the front, the nose of the car (1) is 20cm longer than in 2016, while the width of the front wing increases from 165cm to 180cm. The overhead comparison above highlights the key areas of change.
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