Formula 1 has fundamentally revised its technical regulations for the new season.
Here, the PA news agency sat down with James Key, McLaren’s technical director, to analyze the rule change.
Why have the regulations been revised?
The main reason is to improve raceability. Formula 1 cars produce the power of a jet fighter with enormous downforce. But they depend on clean air to perform that feat.
When a driver follows another car and gets stuck in what is called “dirty air” the drop in performance is massive, he can’t keep up and that has made racing difficult.
So what has changed?
To eliminate this problem, Formula 1, its governing body FIA and the teams have joined forces to develop a machine that is far less vulnerable to the car in front.
We switched from Pirelli’s 13-inch wheels to 18-inch wheels. We got fenders over the front tires, a simpler front wing design, and a new floor that’s been raised way off the ground.
The changes were introduced to create airflow that complements rather than hinders the rear car. Aesthetically most striking are the new sidepods. The car is also heavier, up 50 kilograms from last year to almost 800 kilograms.
It works?
The first signs seem to indicate that it is easier to follow. Hopefully it will also narrow the performance gap between teams and create a tighter grid. The closer the race is, the more fun the riders get and the sport only benefits from this entertainment.
How big was the challenge?
From a technical point of view this was a big challenge as it is a massive change. This is my 25th season in Formula 1 and it’s certainly the biggest change I’ve seen in my time in the sport.
We’ve had heavy changes in the past, but they were all based on the same principles, and you could adapt what you already knew. But this year we started with a blank sheet of paper, and it’s never been like this before.
And what about the new side boxes from Mercedes?
Kudos to them for trying. Going for something so different that requires quite a bit of mechanical engineering to make it work is a bold decision.
You could also say it’s just one of 10 different concepts. Mercedes’ tiny sidepods are at the opposite end of the scale to Ferrari’s, but I’m sure they’ll both be competitive.
Perhaps this indicates that the sidepods will not play a major role. Mercedes certainly drove the most extreme, so it will be interesting to see how that develops and if that was the right path.
Has someone stolen an advantage?
This year, more than ever, it’s really hard to say. Teams run different tire, fuel and engine modes during testing – all of which significantly affect the car’s speed – and there’s no point in showing your hand. It seems reasonably close.
You have to believe that Mercedes and Red Bull will be strong. They were both bold with their designs, which is to be expected given their investments, achievements, and methods that have worked for them in the past. Ferrari looks strong and where do we stand in that mix? I do not know.
None of us can predict how the Bahrain network will develop. We won’t find out until Sunday.
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