2022 Aerodynamic Regulations Thread

[mzso]

Huh. I thought this thread would be really active with the apparent leak of the near-final aero concept.

Its really difficult to discuss the concept, the regulations haven't been released yet. FOM's idea of what a project INDIA car might look like should end up being completely different as to what the teams actually come up with.

The teams are not coming up with anything of their own. FOM is designing the formula they send feedback. (No doubt they're selfishly trying to protect their advantages no matter what)
Ultimately FOM makes the rules unilaterally. Sure they didn't want to alienate teams enough to cause mass exit or break-away into a different championship. But I think we're way past that. Brawn didn't sound like the formula will change a lot from now-on, he sad that the formula (and the rest) is near done on the Sky interview.

[Sulman]

I guarantee it will be more interesting than it looks; F1 is not going to go spec. Brawn knows that the rule changes thus far have achieved very little, in fact - irony of ironies - the '09 changes exacerbated the very problem they were intended to solve. My guess is there will be plenty for the aero guys to play with.

Not keen on any weight increase, though. The cars are already far too heavy.

[DiogoBrand]

50% to 5% sounds wrong, not sure where that's from, you have a source??

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... mbncK.html

[mzso]

50% to 5% sounds wrong, not sure where that's from, you have a source??

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... mbncK.html

Which is mostly a transcript of his answers on the pre-qualifying interview broadcasted on Sky. (Though they cut out the questions, a practice I really hate.)

[jagunx51]

How will F1 revolutionise the racing in 2021? Its new concept car analysed

F1 technology Posted on
2nd April 2019, 12:18 | Written by Craig Scarborough

Despite changes aimed at improving the racing this year, current F1 cars lose 50% of their downforce when running behind another car.

Formula 1 plans to change that with a radical overhaul of car design in two years’ time. F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn has said some of their concepts for 2021 lose as little as 5% of their downforce in the slipstream of another car.
How is F1 planning to revolutionise the quality of racing in the championship? And what changes are they considering to bring about this change?

Craig Scarborough takes a close look at India, one of the concept designs for the 2021 F1 season, to find out.

We are now nearing the point where the final plans for the 2021 F1 regulations will be made public. To get to this point, the FIA with Liberty and FOM have been working in a new way to decide the technical direction of F1.

Under the leadership of Ross Brawn, a technical research and development group has been created and, for the first time, the rules will have been thoroughly researched and qualified before their release.

To do this Brawn’s technical team have had simulation programmes running to meet the aims given to them by Liberty, the primary aim being making it easier to follow another car and thus making it easier to overtake. The secondary aims are equalising the field, reducing costs and improving the aesthetics of the cars.

Along the way the teams have been assisting Brawn with further CFD research on a series of car concepts, the current model being called ‘India’, apparently as the ninth version, with “I” being the ninth letter of the alphabet. Looking at the ‘India’ car CFD model, we can see the direction that the sport is thinking of going in, although some of the final details may be missing or current details deleted. Taking the model at face value we can analyse how F1 aero might work in the future.

Firstly, the key issues the Brawn group have worked on are reducing the sensitivity of the car’s downforce-producing surfaces when following another, then reducing the wake generated by the car ahead. These can be opposing requirements, but the model appears to have met these basic aims by shifting downforce creation to larger underfloor tunnels, while cleaning up wake by the simplification of the aero, with a few additional aero solutions to make the car’s wake cleaner.

https://www.racefans.net/2019/04/02/how ... -analysed/

[mzso]

Interesting. Though no matter how long I look at the picture I don't see these vanes as something that move with the suspension.
There's already reference to whining about that minuscule blade above the front tires...

[Capharol]

https://motorsport.tech/formula-1/f1-20 ... carborough

an article from criag scarborough.

[roon]

Just a thought. Drastically reduce car weight. Downforce can then be reduced while maintaining cornering forces. Reduced aero device loading will permit higher aspect ratio wings and reduced loading upon aero devices generally. Wake will be reduced in size and energy--cars will be able to follow more closely. Vehicle pace in general could be maintained.

Basically go from formula pigeon to formula owl.

[FPV GTHO]

It would work but it's alot easier said then done. There's alot of reasons the cars got so heavy to begin with, that I think gets casually ignored when the idea of lighter cars comes up. It's one thing to drop the batteries or go to a smaller battery, or to mandate smaller cars but there's also alot of weight in how might tighter the crash regulations have become.

[JordanMugen]

Just a thought. Drastically reduce car weight. Downforce can then be reduced while maintaining cornering forces.

Sounds like...





To clarify, Indycar Delta Wing proposal had the same ideas: half the weight, half the power, less drag, less downforce, but the same lap times.

“We wanted to make a car that is twice as efficient in every way, it should use half the fuel, cost half as much, use half the engine power and weigh half as much yet still go as fast or even faster than a current Indycar” explained Bowlby at the cars launch.

https://www.racecar-engineering.com/art ... deltawing/

[roon]

Concept has aged well. Too bad they didn't pursue it. Would've been a successful publicity stunt.

[jjn9128]

Concept has aged well. Too bad they didn't pursue it. Would've been a successful publicity stunt.

As far as publicity goes it had some fairly successful outings in IMSA didn't it? In the open and coupe configurations. It was doing okay at Le Mans in 2012 - toward the tail end of the P2s - before being punted into a wall by a Toyota.

I must admit when I first saw it I thought it was kinda ugly, but it's grown on me. I prefer the P1 version to the original single seater though.

Just a thought. Drastically reduce car weight. Downforce can then be reduced while maintaining cornering forces. Reduced aero device loading will permit higher aspect ratio wings and reduced loading upon aero devices generally. Wake will be reduced in size and energy--cars will be able to follow more closely. Vehicle pace in general could be maintained.

As far as 2021 goes this ain't gonna happen, if anything the cars will probably get heavier. I fully agree though. They could easily set a target lap-time/corner speeds in lap simulations and fiddle with the car parameters to make it work. F1 cars should be closer to 500kg, not 800kg, but the power-to-weight doesn't need to exceed the current 1200-1300bhp/tonne.

Some basic numbers are 0.03s/kg, 0.03s/downforce point, 0.06s/drag point, 0.02s/bhp, 0.01s/mm COG height. Very roughly from that if you halved downforce (current cars have between 360 and 400 points of downforce*) then the cars need to shed 180-200kg for an equivalent lap-time. That's not changing drag or power though, so cornering speeds would likely be slower.

*estimated, depends on a number of factors

[mzso]

F1 cars should be closer to 500kg, not 800kg, but the power-to-weight doesn't need to exceed the current 1200-1300bhp/tonne.

Why? So that only midgets could compete in F1?

I don't think that size should be a pre-requisite in a car racing series. Too many sports are inherently biased to some body size, don't need to make one (car racing) that's not fundamentally affected one of these.

I'd sooner like to see them chop a meter off the cars. (eg: limit length to 4m ) Their proportions are ridiculous looking, and it makes them sluggish. Would also aid in reducing the significance of aero.

[Sulman]

F1 cars should be closer to 500kg, not 800kg, but the power-to-weight doesn't need to exceed the current 1200-1300bhp/tonne.

Why? So that only midgets could compete in F1?

I don't think that size should be a pre-requisite in a car racing series. Too many sports are inherently biased to some body size, don't need to make one (car racing) that's not fundamentally affected one of these.

I'd sooner like to see them chop a meter off the cars. (eg: limit length to 4m ) Their proportions are ridiculous looking, and it makes them sluggish. Would also aid in reducing the significance of aero.

I think it will be difficult with the PU requirements. The cars could both be lighter and smaller if it weren't for the enormous amount of things they have to stuff in them now. I agree on the looks. Also I will be glad to see the back of the skewed/swept endplate trend which is now everywhere.

[mzso]

I think it will be difficult with the PU requirements. The cars could both be lighter and smaller if it weren't for the enormous amount of things they have to stuff in them now

I see no problem, the can always be built to be chunkier. Nowadays they look a tad morbid with the rear wheels appear to being mounted on almost nothing they're so far back to where's barely any chassis.