F1 2022 "Puzzle" complete! Insiders answer questions about the new car

Text & Photo /QIAN JUN Motorsport Media

In Sakhir this weekend, the "new generation of racing" will officially run. Can she live up to her mission and change the face of the Grand Prix? An insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, made his own judgment.

Q: In the past, after the F1 governing body issued a new version of the technical rules, it was a bit of a trepidation to see how the teams would "explain". This time, their own technical team also "delivered" a new car. Why?

Insider: This is only to highlight the strategic shift that today's F1 decision-making level (for new changes) seeks to increase "engagement" in terms of upfront learning, concrete research and actual implementation. They hope that through proper research, they will come up with the geometry and characteristics of the car they want. This time, in order to better show their ideas, they showed the resulting computer mapping scheme through online video, and even did something unprecedented - directly showing their vision of F1 (full scale real car).

Q: Is He right when Formula 1 Race Director Ross Brown says that 2022 racing marks the beginning of a new concept?

Insider: He was right! Once upon a time, some bad (technical) rules were often followed over time. Because in the absence of a major consensus among the contestants, it is difficult to change the individual terms individually. The resulting defect is there and it's hard to get rid of it quickly! This time is different because the basic research on the new rules is done by the F1 governing body, and then the idealized performance is put into practice during the formulation process. Even if the team's interpretation deviates from the ideal situation, the general direction is difficult to shake.

Q: Most of us are cynics, will this change really open up an exciting era?

Insider: To dispel this cynicism, it needs to be proven by the results. For too long, teams have been more concerned about the performance of their cars (whether they are competitive on the track) and turned a deaf ear to the overall success of F1. And when Liberty Media took over from Bernie Ecclestone, they made the success of F1 as a top priority, through a number of structural means. At present, this direction is right, and it is only necessary to cash in with real actions.

Q: Studies have shown that contemporary F1 cars lose 35% of their own downforce when they are 20 meters behind the car in front. When approaching the front car 10 meters, it will lose 46% of the downforce. How the new car will change that question.

Insider: According to the computer simulation calculations of the "new generation of racing cars", the "sensitivity" to the turbulence of the front car will be reduced to losing 4% of the downforce at about 20 meters, and 18% of the downforce at 10 meters, such a huge improvement is due to the significant change in the size, shape and intensity of the turbulence - especially the low-energy airflow generated by the front car becomes cleaner, making it easier for the rear car to "follow" and eventually overtake. In addition, the aerodynamic kit used in the new car is not so "sensitive" to the remaining turbulence.

Q: Ground effects have been banned by the FIA since 1982. But the "new generation of racing cars" will use this effect, right?

Insider: After a lot of "improvements" to the ground effect, it has returned as a technical highlight of the "next generation of racing". Since the advent of the method of greatly increasing downforce through "fully enclosed interaction" with the ground (chassis), it has undergone several rules and geometric changes in an attempt to better manage its effect, stability and safety. By looking at the relevant parameters in the 2022 technical regulations, it can be seen that this effect can be used to maximize its effectiveness, and its "side effects" can be easily controlled by the F1 regulatory agency.

Q: What exactly does some people mean by the idea that the front nose wing of the "next generation of racing cars" is a "wash-resistant" kit?

Insider: "Open Wheel" is an integral part of formula racing DNA, but this "tradition" has a hindrance to the layout and performance of aerodynamics – turbulence is more often generated. Currently, the team's solution is to use the front nose cone and end plates to create an "exterior wash effect" – like an aerodynamic snowplow that pulls the turbulence generated by the front wheels to the side and away from the car. This move is self-serving and unfavorable to others - the rear car will fall into the "dirty air" and cry bitterly. Therefore, the F1 technical team proposed to introduce an "anti-washing" kit when studying the new regulations.

Q: Two striking features have also been added to the "Next Generation Car" – one is the deflector wing on the front wheels, and the hub cover is returning for the first time since 2009.

Insiders: "Tidying up" the turbulence caused by "opening the wheel" is essential to improving the aerodynamic stability of the car. It's not just about itself, it's about every car on the grid. Therefore, adding these two things can produce a surface that maintains consistency, so that some characteristics of the airflow can be controlled – keeping the turbulence away from the tail is an important idea of the new regulations.

Q: What are your thoughts on the "next generation of racing" switching to 18-inch wheels?

Insider: It should have been done a long time ago! The world's mainstream car models have increasingly favored the use of large wheels (i.e. increasing rim diameter). The F1 has been using the 13-inch wheel specification for almost 60 years, which has become increasingly out of date. In fact, the main purpose of introducing new tires is to reduce overheating when the tire slides, plus the low flatness is less than the tire wall shape change, which is conducive to reducing the change in airflow caused by deformation. I believe that Pirelli, which has already offered this specification in the FIA F2 Championship, can easily cope with this change.

Q: How does the new regulation use the tail wing to reduce turbulence? Why is it important? I'm sure you'd like to talk about mushrooms!

Insider: For the technical teams of each team, the front part of their own car is usually the most focused part of research and development. Because the rest of your car has to run in the resulting airflow. In addition to the aforementioned "anti-wash" measures for the front wing, F1 also adopts a new tail wing design (retaining the DRS element), which is designed to be lifted by the airflow convergence of the body, and the airflow through the diffuser is converged, forming an invisible "mushroom-shaped" airflow above the tail wing, allowing the following car to drive in a cleaner airflow.

Q: Can the almighty teams find ways to circumvent the "central idea" of the new rules?

Insider: For such a large change in technical rules, each team will organize a group of people to interpret the rules in depth. At the same time, getting a fully guided full-scale case car in F1 is a new thing and will inevitably give the team a guide to ensure that they start working around the clock with CFDs and wind tunnels at the right 'starting point'. I think teams will still come up with something interesting (like Meben's sideless box), but how effective it is depends on how many "backdoors" the technical rulemakers have left at the time, and I don't think there's much space.

Q: What are your thoughts on switching to E10 fuel (containing 10% renewable ethanol) this season? Is this a form of political correctness?

Insider: As part of F1's sustainability and zero-carbon agenda, this is a key step in reducing emissions. While E10 fuel will present some reliability and performance challenges for power unit suppliers in the early stages of introduction, it is moving in the direction of road vehicle adoption.

Q: Ross Brown said the "competitiveness" of the new car is crucial to the future development of F1. Is he right?

Insider: Liberty Media knows how fierce the competition in the sports viewing market is! They are counting on the return on their huge investments. Today, they have abolished many old thinking and redefined what is needed to improve the product. In the 2022 season, they will hand over the answer sheet.