Formula One fans have had a long wait to witness the all-new car. While we did get a preview in a simulation earlier this year, here's the first proper appearance of the 2021 F1 car that promises a new era for racing along with a change in the regulations of the sport, which will reshape Grand Prix racing as we know it. The new F1 car and the new regulations have been developed after a period of two years of work that involved both analyses of both on and off-track operations, the FIA and the F1. The new regulations promise to promote closer racing and more balanced competition, something that eludes the circuits at present. It also aims to bring more sustainability to the sport, according to the promoters.
Also Read: F1: First Official Look At The 2021 Formula 1 Car
Speaking on the new regulations, Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO, Formula 1, said, "Formula 1 is an incredible sport with a great history, heroes and fans all over the world. We deeply respect the DNA of Formula 1, which is a combination of great sporting competition, uniquely talented and courageous drivers, dedicated teams and cutting-edge technology. The goal has always been to improve the competition and action on the track and at the same time make the sport a healthier and attractive business for all. The approval of the rules by the World Motor Sport Council is a watershed moment and will help deliver more exciting wheel-to-wheel racing for all our fans. The new rules have emerged from a detailed two-year process of examining technical, sporting, and financial issues in order to develop a package of regulations. We made many changes during the process as we received input by the teams and other stakeholders and we firmly believe we achieved the goals we had set out to deliver. These regulations are an important and major step, however, this is an ongoing process and we will continue to improve these regulations and take further steps to enable our sport to grow and achieve its full potential."
"One of the most important initiatives we will be addressing as we go forward is the environmental impact of our sport. We already have the most efficient engine in the world and in the next few weeks we will be launching plans to reduce and ultimately eliminate environmental impact of our sport and business. We have always been at the leading edge of the automobile industry and we believe we can play a leadership role on this critical issue, as well."
The 2021 F1 Car will have a disruption of just 5-10 per cent, which means more overtaking opportunities
The new car design is certainly better looking and in-line with the future of the sport and sports sweeping bodywork, simplified front wings, bigger rear wings, increased underbody aerodynamics, wheel wake control devices, simplified suspension and 18-inch wheels with low profile tyres developed by Pirelli. The future F1 cars could feature a rotating LED display panel in the wheels and bodywork to provide information to spectators.
Improvements on the new F1 cars will include better ability to battle on the track and a more balanced competition on the track. This comes with a disruption level of just 5-10 per cent as opposed to 40 per cent on current cars and will lead to better downforce. With the car running lower levels dirty air behind another car, the airflow coming off the 2021 machines will be both cleaner and directed higher, having less impact on the drivers following. This will allow for better overtake opportunities and some exciting wheel-to-wheel battles.
For the first time a fully enforceable cost cap of $175 million per season in the FIA rules. This excludes the marketing cost and the salaries of drivers and the three highest-paid personnel costs that the teams need to bear. The regulation is obviously to curb spending for richer teams that gain an advantage over other teams in the sport. It also means better business and sustainability for all parties involved and also attracting new entrants in the future. The regulations further limit a season to a 21-race calendar, with $1 million added or subtracted for the number of races above or below the benchmark in a given year. The maximum races that can be held are 25 per year.
The new regulations also limit car upgrades over race weekends and the number of in-season aero upgrades, reducing the costly development arms race that can result in a less competitive grid. There will also be the introduction of certain parts like fuel pumps and wheel covers that need to have a prescribed design. There will also be restrictions on the number of times some components, like brake pads, can be replaced. The number of power-units remain the same, but the exhaust systems have been limited to six per season before a penalty for each driver.
The new cars will also be 25 kg heavier due to the new tyres, revised chassis and PU materials to save costs, in addition to new safety measures and the introduction of standardised and prescription parts. That will make new cars slightly slower than the current ones. The 2021 F1 cars will also get a more restricted gearbox design with the configurations frozen to minimise R&D costs. Tyres blankets will continue with restrictions.
There will also be major changes to the race weekend structure from 2021, which will be condensed in order to improve the fan experience and help teams deal with an expanded calendar. The pre-race press conference will be switched from Thursday to Friday, while cars will now be in parc femme conditions or race-ready spec, from the start of FP3. The cars will also have to return to the reference-sepc before FP1, so any trial bodywork in practice will have to be removed. All teams will need to run at least two practice sessions during the year using drivers who have completed two Grand Prix or fewer races, giving newer and younger drivers an opportunity to get the behind the wheel of an F1 car.
