2018 Formula 1 Sporting & Technical Rule Changes

 

 

After radical regulation changes of 2017 which saw F1 cars become wider and faster, this seasons are very few in number.

 

Sporting Regulation Changes

 

 

• Following negative criticism of the grid penalty system in 2017 that saw multiple drivers start races outside their qualifying positions, the sport’s governing body, the FIA, introduced revised rules for 2018. If the driver changes a power unit component, they will still be given a five or ten-placed grid penalty depending on the component being changed. However, should they replace a second component, they will be relegated to the back of the grid. If multiple drivers are moved to the rear of the starting grid, their starting positions will be determined by the order that components were replaced based on the most recent change made by each driver.

 

• The starting procedures will be changed for the 2018 season, giving race stewards power to give penalties for improper race starts even if the driver does not trigger the automated detection system. The changes were introduced following two incidents, one being at the Chinese Grand Prix where Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel positioned his SF70H racer too far across his grid slot to be registered by the detection system while at the Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas’ start was questioned for his reaction time despite the detection system recognising it as legal.

 

• The FIA also introduced tougher restrictions on racing licences issued to drivers taking part in free practice sessions. Drivers will be required to complete a minimum number of FIA Formula 2 races or earn 25 super-license points over a three-year period. The changes were made to address concerns about drivers not able to meet the standards required to complete in Formula 1.

 

 

• The schedule of a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend will change with the race starting time of most European races being pushed back by 10 minutes past the hour to try and accommodate a larger audience. All races will start 10 minutes past the hour to allow broadcasters the opportunity for pre-race coverage when their broadcasts of the race starts on the hour.

 

Technical Regulations

 

 

Engine suppliers must give all teams using their power-trains an identical specification of power-unit. The change was pushed through to ensure parity after Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport’s works team was observed to have been using additional performance settings that were not available to customer teams Force India and Williams Martini Racing.

 

The number of power-unit components a driver may use during the entire 2017 season have been reduced from four full power units to a new system where each power-unit component is separate. Henceforth, this season each driver will be allowed to use three each of the Internal Combustion Engines (ICE), Motor Generator Unit – Heat (MGU-H) and Turbochargers (TC); and only two Control Electronics (CE), Energy Stores (ES) and Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic (MGU-K).

 

Restrictions against oil burning were also introduced, where engine oil was used as a fuel to boost performance. The trick which was first used by teams last year where they were burning as much as 1.2 litres per 100 kilometres. For the 2018 season, the figures have been revised to a maximum of just 0.6 litres per 100 kilometres. The rules were further tightened to regulate teams using a single specification of oil, which will be confirmed before the race. The oils are subject to very strict definitions of what is considered as “oil” to prevent teams from using exotic blends that could enhance and boost performance. Teams are required to notify stewards of the amount of oil in each oil tank before the Grand Prix.

 

Trick suspension systems have also been banned which could be used to improve a car’s aerodynamic performance. Last year, teams including Ferrari and Red Bull tried setups with a small link in the front suspension connected to the upright, which is believed to allow the ride height of the car to change over a lap depending on the steering angle. The FIA has declared systems such as this will be banned.

 

More changes to the technical regulations include that the temperature of air in the plenum chamber (adjacent to the turbo) to be no more than 10 degrees above the ambient air temperature. The rule was brought in to stop teams from artificially cooling and heating air for potential performance gains.

 

Active control valves, which regulates the flowing of fluids between the power-train components electronically have also been banned.

 

The FIA have also banned “shark fins”, a carbon fibre extension of the engine cowling which directs airflow over the rear wing and the “T-wings”, a horizontal secondary wing that is mounted forward and above the rear wing.

 

The Halo and Driver Safety

 

 

Following recent serious incidents in all forms of open wheel racing including the horrific accidents of Justin Wilson and Henry Surtees, in which the drivers were struck in the head by debris, the FIA have introduced a compulsory mandatory cockpit protection system with 2018, the first year of its introduction.

 

Several solutions were tested with the designs given feedback by the drivers and teams. Each design was created to deflect debris away from the driver’s head without compromising visibility or to stop marshals from accessing the cockpit to help take the driver out and his seat in the event of a major accident or medical emergency, with a number of serious accidents such as Dan Wheldon and Jules Bianchi, recreated to simulate the ability of the devices to withstand a major impact.

 

The FIA decided to settle with the “Halo”, a wishbone-shaped frame placed above and around a driver’s head and secured to the monocoque forward of the cockpit. The halo will also be introduced to other FIA sanctioned open wheel championships including FIA Formula E, Formula 2 and Formula 3.

 

Following the negative feedback on the aesthetics of the halo, the FIA revealed plans to allow teams to have design freedom in the definitive version of the head protection device, with the halo being incorporated into the design of the chassis from it’s introduction rather than attached once the design was completed.

 

The minimum weight chassis was raised by 6kgs to 734kgs to accommodate the additional weight of the halo. The mandatory crash tests that each chassis must pass also included an FIA Static Load Test. To simulate an accident, a tyre was attached to a hydraulic ram and fired at the crash structure; to pass the test, the chassis and the mounting points for the halo had to remain unbroken.

 

To prevent teams from gaining an aerodynamic advantage and undermining its purpose, the FIA banned teams from developing their own halo head protection device and required them to purchase models from approved suppliers.

 

Drivers also will be required to wear gloves with biometric sensors to record their vital signs to assist marshals and recovery crews in evaluating their condition in the event of an accident.

 

Tyres

 

 

Formula One’s sole tyre supplier Pirelli will introduce two new tyre compounds making their full range seven in 2018. Each of last year’s compounds were made to be softer making them the fastest set of tyres in the sport’s history, with a new pink-branded “Hypersoft” rubber becoming the softest of the nine tyres and a new orange-marked “Superhard” tyre to be the hardest. The hard tyre, which previously used orange branding, is now an ice blue colour. The full range for the 2018 season is Hypersoft (Pink), Ultrasoft (Purple), Supersoft (Red), Soft (Yellow), Medium (White), Hard (Blue) and Superhard (Orange). Reports on initial testing suggest that car could go a second per lap quicker.

 

The rules controlling which tyres are available over the weekend were relaxed to allow Pirelli to supply a wider range of compounds. Recently, Pirelli had to supply sequential tyres for example, Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft. Now, F1’s sole tyre supplier can provide compounds with two to steps of difference between them for example, Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Medium tyres. Pirelli were also required to make an additional tyre compound that will not be used for competition. This compound will be given to teams for use in demonstration events to prevent teams from illegal running and from using demonstration events as informal.

 

Depending on the way Pirelli choose to select their compounds for the race weekend, the general move towards softer tyres should make 2018’s racing even more entertaining, with more pitstops and less one-stop races.