#F1 Newsbites – 2021 Rules & Regulations Edition. #F12021 @F1
Formula 1 2021 Car unveiled at the presentation of the new rules and regulations set to change the landscape of the sport in 2021 onwards. Image credit to Formula1.com
In this special edition of F1 Newsbites – 2021 Edition we take a look at the new rules and regulations set to change the sport from 2021 onwards.
The FIA and Formula 1 officials today confirmed the direction of where the FIA Formula One World Championship will be heading in the future with it’s presentation of the raft of rules and regulation changes that will sweep the landscape of the sport in 2021 onwards.
After more than two years of work involving the most detailed analysis of the sport both on and off the track and following ratification from the World Motorsport Council, the new rules and regulations were presented at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas by FIA President Jean Todt and Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey.
The new set of rules all on the financial, sporting and technical sides are targeted at promoting closer racing and balanced competition, as well as bringing economic and sustainablity to Formula 1.
You can watch the full presentation streaming highlight at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JddVHuPmCM
From 2021 onwards the cars will
- Cars that can battle better on the track.
- More balanced competition on track.
- A sport where success is determined more by how well a team spends its money not how much it spends – including, for the first time, a fully enforceable cost cap ($175 million per season) in the FIA rules.
- A sport that is a better business model for current participating teams and more attractive to potential new entrants.
- A sport that continues to be the pinnacle of world motor sport and the perfect showcase of cutting-edge technology.
The rules and regulations were unanimously approved by the World Motor Sport Council, which will be combined to a new governance and prize fund structure that would enable to sport to grow and improve whilst further strengthening it’s business model with the agreements at an advanced stage with all the teams.
F1 2021 – Statements from Todt and Carey
FIA President Jean Todt said: “After more than two years of intense research and development, of close collaboration with our partners at Formula 1, and with the support of the teams and drivers, circuit designers, the single tyre supplier, Pirelli and all F1 stakeholders, the FIA is proud to publish today the set of regulations that will define the future of Formula 1 from 2021 onwards.
“It is a major change in how the pinnacle of motor sports will be run, and for the first time, we have addressed the technical, sporting and financial aspects all at once. The 2021 regulations have been a truly collaborative effort, and I believe this to be a great achievement. A crucial element for the FIA moving forward will be the environmental considerations – Formula 1 already has the most efficient engines in the world, and we will continue to work on new technologies and fuels to push these boundaries further.
“What the FIA publishes today is the best framework we could possibly have to benefit competitors and stakeholders, while ensuring an exciting future for our sport.” Credit to FIA.com
Formula 1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey 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 Motorsport 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. 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.” Credit to FIA.com.
Formula 1 2021 – Key Changes
Formula 1 cars in 2021 will feature a radical new look and design, with sleek bodywork, simplified front wings, bigger rear wings, ground effect, wheel wake control devices, simplified suspension and 18 inch low profile tyres.
One proposal is to have rotating LED display panels on the wheel rims to provide information to spectators with a bodywork display panel also proposed for the same reason.
F1 2021 – Producing Closer Racing
Although aesthetics were a major consideration, both Formula 1 officials and governing body the FIA have been on the limit to design cars that can run closer and produce better racing.
The key was to find a solution to loss of downforce that the current generation of cars face when running behind in another car’s wake. When running behind another car in dirty airflow, a 2019 car loses 40% of downforce. With the 2021 cars however, this will fall to 5-10%, with airflow coming off the new machinery both cleaner and directed higher, meaning it will have less impact on the drivers behind, giving them the opportunity to battle and not just overtake.
F1 2021 – Fairer Finances
For the first time in the sport’s history, Formula 1 will introduce a budget cap to make it more fairer and sustainable. A cost cap has been set to $175 million per team, per year and everything that covers performances on track – but excludes driver salaries, marketing costs and top three personnel at any outfit on the grid.
The cost cap will put an end to the ever growing spending gap between F1’s big squads over expenditure and those with less resources, and the on-track difference this brings.
F1 2021 – Less Upgrades, More Standardised Parts and Limits on Components
Alongside the new financial rules, there have been some huge changes to the sporting and technical rules and regulations. Restrictions have been put in place to limit car upgrades over Grand Prix weekends, number of in-season aerodynamic upgrades and reducing the large costing development arms race, which can result in a less competitive field.
There will also be an introduction of more standardised parts, which have a prescribed design and increased restrictions on the number of times components can be replaced.
Cars will become 25 kg heavier due to the new 18 inch tyres, chassis and power unit materials to control costs, more safety measures and introduction of standardised and prescription parts. This will make the cars slower to begin with.
Gearboxes will also be further restricted, with configurations frozen to cut down on research and development costs. Tyre blankets will not be scrapped as once proposed, instead remaining in 2021, but with more restictions in 2022.
F1 2021 – Revised Race Weekends
There are small but major changes regarding the race weekend structure, which will be compressed to further improve fan experience and help teams deal with an expanded calendar with the maximum number of Grands Prix set at 25.
Pre-race press conferences will move from Thursday to Friday ahead of Free Practice 1 and 2, while cars will be locked in parc ferme restrictions from the beginning of Free Practice 3.
FP3 also sees teams return to their ‘reference spec’ presented for scrutineering before opening practice, so any parts tested in practice must be removed.
Also all teams on the grid must run at least two practice sessions during the season using a driver that have competed in two Grand Prix or less – giving the opportunity for younger talent to shine.
Less Wind Tunnel Tests
In a further bid to slash aerodynamic development costs, the number of wind tunnel tests teams can run have been reduced, with emphasis placed on using Computational Fluid Dynamics over the physical ones.
Other factors come into this for example, the switch to lower profile tyres is not aesthetic. The higher profile tyres used in the sport at the moment move around and deflect a lot, which has an impact on aerodynamics. The larger budget teams have the advantage on looking at these effects in the finest detail and are able to find better solutions that give them the edge over their rivals with lesser budgets. A tyre with a much stiffer side wall does not move as much, simplifying aerodynamics and reducing development investment.
You can read and download the raft of F1 2021 financial, sporting and technical regulations at the following links:
Financial
https://www.fia.com/file/105637/download/29732
Sporting
https://www.fia.com/file/105638/download/29730
Technical
https://www.fia.com/file/105636/download/29731
You can read this weekend’s Formula 1 Emirates Untied States Grand Prix 2019 preview at the following link: @F1 @Emirates #UnitedStatesGP 2019 Preview – #USGP #F1 @COTA
