Formula 1 teams’ technical directors have agreed a plan to reduce the downforce produced by the current generation of cars in 2021.
Teams previously decided to postpone new technical rules by one year to 2022, meaning the existing car specification will remain in force next season. However F1 will also continue to use the current 13-inch tyres which were originally introduced by Pirelli in 2019.This has prompted concerns the performance of the cars could become too much for the rubber. Teams rejected the new compounds which were developed by Pirelli for 2020, meaning they will continue to use 2019 tyres this year and next.
A teleconference meeting of the Technical Working Group yesterday considered how to restrict a further escalation of performance next year. A proposal to introduce technical changes to the bodywork, floor and wings to cut downforce levels, and therefore reduce the load on the tyres, was agreed, and is expected to be approved at a meeting between team principals next week.
The TWG also considered how development will be restricted next year. Teams are keen to limit the costs of upgrading cars which are now due to be replaced at the end of next season, while also leaving themselves an opportunity to address weaknesses in their current designs.
A system of development ‘tokens’ is being considered, similar to that which was originally used when the current generation of V6 hybrid turbo power units was introduced six years ago. This will allow teams to concentrate their development programmes on a limit number of areas ‘under the skin’ of their 2020 designs.
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Jere (@jerejj)
30th April 2020, 18:07
Well, just use the 2020-spec tyres next year.
BasCB (@bascb)
2nd May 2020, 15:34
They had a bit of a different profile I think, that was a large part of why teams rejected them @jerejj. That means that the tyres won’t work properly with cars developed to use the 2019 spec tyres. Unless they now redo the cars. But that would mean an aero-overhaul.
ColdFly (@)
30th April 2020, 18:16
If FIA/Pirelli believes that 2020 rubber is better, then just introduce it.
Too much democracy in F1, and due to all the links between teams it becomes a alkimocracy.
Duncan Idaho (@didaho)
1st May 2020, 5:18
Well that’s your vote then, let see what everyone else says.
Bill
30th April 2020, 18:47
IndyCars had more down force than F1 cars during aero wars (2015 – 2018). To the point of stressing the tub, suspension components, needed different tire compounds, etc… The good drivers complained that the high DF was like a band aid that covered up lack of driving skill. Cut the DF (IndyCar dropped literally a TON – 2,000 lbs of DF), and remove the power steering (like IndyCar) and F1 drivers can drive a real beast on their hands.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st May 2020, 7:25
@Bill Wrong, F1, of course, had more even during the years (2014-2015 and still to a large extent 2016) when the lap times were very slow for F1’s standards. Otherwise, IndyCar would’ve had higher cornering-speeds, etc.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
30th April 2020, 20:59
I’m not necessarily against the idea of cutting downforce, But the idea that they want/need to cut downforce because the tyres are potentially not good enough to cope with the loads is something I don’t like the idea of.
If the tyres aren’t able to handle what F1 cars throw at them then Pirelli need to make better tyres that are more upto the task & if they can’t do that then they should step aside & let somebody else have a go.
And I don’t mean to sound like i’m just taking shots at Pirelli…. But I just feel that the tyres shouldn’t be dictating how the cars are designed, They should be built to cope with the car design & whatever stresses/strains the cars are putting them through & if they can’t do that then i’m sorry but they aren’t fit for the purpose.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
30th April 2020, 21:35
Pirelli offered the teams better tyres and they rejected them. So this isn’t a case where Pirelli don’t have a better tyre, it’s a case where the teams wanted the older inferior product.
F1oSaurus (@)
30th April 2020, 21:49
@drycrust No, Pirelli presented what they claimed was a better tyre, the teams tested them and then all teams agreed that the tyres were not better at all.
MEGATRON M12 (@megatron)
30th April 2020, 22:16
@f1osaurus
exactly right, the pirelli 2020 offering was trash
Antz (@antznz)
30th April 2020, 23:55
@stefmeister @f1osaurus
Or the teams decided that because new tyres had a different aero profile and wear patterns, they wouldn’t have a wealth of data to help them make decisions in 2020. The tyres were also more durable for expected down force increases but not necessarily better in drivability characteristics, intentionally. Most teams and drivers reported that they felt very similar, as intended.
The teams didn’t choose the 2020 tyres because they lost data, they couldn’t do simulations as accurately etc.. not because they weren’t “better”.
F1oSaurus (@)
2nd May 2020, 14:52
@antznz Nonsense, the teams were unanimous about the fact that the proposed 2020 tyres were NOT an improvement. To get the F1 teams to be unanimous about anything is huge.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
30th April 2020, 21:50
@drycrust
‘Better’ tyres which the teams rejected as they felt they were worse than the existing one’s, A view that was shared by pretty much all of the drivers.
Robbie (@robbie)
1st May 2020, 14:23
@drycrust Suggesting the teams wanted to stick with inferior tires makes no sense. Can you tell us why they allegedly did that? My understanding was that the new ones were no better so they thought it was well worth it to stick with the tires on which they have lots of data.
S
2nd May 2020, 10:46
You just said it yourself – ‘it was well worth it to stick with the tyres on which they have lots of data’
Better the devil you know, as they say.
JohnS
30th April 2020, 21:36
what a mess. all these changes gives an advantage to the larger teams.
Just run the 2020 cars in 2021. Everyone is going to be hurting, so there will naturally be a development cap that is self imposed.
Duncan Idaho (@didaho)
1st May 2020, 9:12
They are running this year’s cars next year – apparently the incremental speed increase for in-year development (now two years) would overwhelm the tyres (think 2005 US GP). Teams are happier to adjust their cars to counter this, as they know them very well, rather than to have no useful data on new spec tyres and still have to develop the cars.
StephenH
30th April 2020, 23:35
Chop off the bargeboards and boomerangs.
Simple, quick easy fix that will make the cars look at lot better as well.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
1st May 2020, 5:32
But DannyRic can keep the boomberangs… for reasons…
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
1st May 2020, 2:27
Does anyone find it amazing that in the middle of a crisis of massive proportions, there are discussions about making mandatory changes to the aero of cars.
How can anyone take claims of “wanting to lower costs” seriously when they come out with something like this.
Forget 2020 and now 2021 – they’re basically just fillers until the new regulations come in. If a team wants to spend more on aero for their current, and next years, car, let them. It’s not as if it’s going to affect the outcome. If they don’t want to, or can’t because they don’t have the money, let them keep what they’ve got.
If the tyres can’t handle it, I’m sure as always Pirelli with just raise the pressures to ridiculous levels and mandate a maximum speed. Either that or the teams will have to take the risk – do we push it and risk tyre failure or do we play it conservative – just another strategy decision.
For the good of the sport. Just leave it alone for now and focus on the new regs for 2022 and beyond. If you keep throwing more costs at teams there won’t be a sport.
socksolid (@socksolid)
1st May 2020, 3:49
I’m not really convinced removing downforce from the current cars will help with costs in any way. Having less downforce doesn’t mean the cars are cheaper to design or build. Budget is limited by budget – not technical freedom or lack thereof. F1 teams will always pour as much money into chassis design as they can spend and only thing that is different for 2021 now is time because of the corona outbreak. Factories are closed, teams can not work on new designs.
But by reducing downforce for one year f1 is essentially introducing new technical regulations that are only valid for one year. New car design for just one year. I think the alternative of just using 2020 cars in 2021 is better. It is a risk as it can lock down the competition for that year but merc will win it anyways so who cares? With that the teams could choose to spend less and use what they already have because spending more money on it would not make sense anyways.
So by creating a new mid level downforce configuration for 2021 they are sort of enforcing teams to build new cars just for 2021. If f1 really wanted to reduce costs for one year they could force teams to use spec front and rear wings or spec floors for 2021 while locking down a lot of the 2020 cars for 2021. It is just one year, by making it impossible spend money on some things is easier way to reduce the amount of money teams need to use compared to creating new technical regulation for just one year. The teams still need to spend a lot of money for the brand new 2022 cars in 2021 so the key focus is to make the 2021 cars as inexpensive as they can be.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
1st May 2020, 5:27
It’s time to get rid of Pirelli. Seriously in all the years I have been following F1 Avon was the only time that tyres were a problem. Goodyear and Michellin can do the damn job. I know Todt is getting kickbacks from this, but at some point he must realize how much damage Pirelli is doing to this “sport”.
S
1st May 2020, 12:18
Pirelli are making approximately what they are being told to make.
Goodyear and Michelin never made tyres for cars with this much downforce, so any assumptions that they’d do any better are pure speculation.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
1st May 2020, 12:58
I really doubt Todt makes any money from the sale of tyres to F1 teams, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the FIA did get paid in some way, after all they have staff to pay, and some of those staff have to travel around the world with the teams.
F1 drew up a specification for tyres and put it out for tender. Pirelli won the tender. If F1 didn’t like the tyres they were getting they’d put out a new tender with a new specification, but they haven’t. I guess that means the tyres they are getting are within spec.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
1st May 2020, 23:01
This, to me, defeats much of the point of not implementing the 2021 changes. If there’s going to be development on the cars (necessary to get a downforce reduction), then that development might as well have been put on the 2021 changes, not on an artificial intermediate change that will cost money and resource.