F1 already closed loopholes for 2022 cars that were indicated by teams

When the regulations for 2022 were presented, initial estimates still spoke of five seconds slower lap times. At the end of last year, some technology bosses gave hope that the next generation of cars might be better than their reputation. There was only a three second difference to the current Formula 1 cars. However, the new projections are a sensation: the delta may be much smaller.

The teams are of course in silence. There are currently hardly any more secret numbers than the lap times calculated for the 2022 cars based on wind tunnel tests and simulations. But this time there is a neutral authority. Nobody knows the secrets of the new generation of cars better than Pat Symonds, who invented the concept with a group of engineers on behalf of Formula 1 management.

There is only one goal: better races
Unlike in the past, forecasts are no longer just gray theory. Symonds and his team actively developed the car in the wind tunnel and with CFD simulation. This time they wanted to make sure that their great goal was achieved. It’s not about lap times, but about driving behind other cars. That is why the teams’ chief technology officers were asked to share their experiences with the inventors of the concept – and also to warn them if something gets out of hand.

Transparency was also required for self-protection. So that there is no rude awakening if someone shows up with the super trick next year. “The FIA can ban a development if it feels that it does not comply with the spirit of the regulations,” warns Symonds. Four weeks before the start of the season, that would be fatal from a double point of view. Firstly, the relevant team would have to back up, and secondly, every turnaround burdens the budget. Not good when the costs are introduced.

In fact, the FIA and F1 management engineers have already closed a number of loopholes that they either discovered themselves or that teams brought to them. What exactly it is about, of course, remains a secret.

“Our biggest fear is that someone will manage to divert the bad air that is created in the front of the car around the outside of the car. That creates the problems when driving behind,” says Symonds. “Our plan is to carry the bad air inside the front wheels and divert it upwards from a certain point. Everything has to submit to this idea.”

At the beginning of the season only half a second slower
According to Symonds, the intent was never to slow the cars down. Therefore, the latest projections give hope for a much smaller loss than was once forecast. “We can imagine that the new cars are on average only half a second per lap slower than the current ones at the start of the season. And there could be a tie by the end of the season. I say ‘could’ because we don’t yet know what the pace of development is allowed by these regulations.”

The confidence of the Formula 1 veteran is based on the ratio of downforce to air resistance, which was calculated using the wind tunnel tests with the 2022 models. It is 4: 1, i.e. on the same level as the current generation of cars. Higher speeds are expected, especially in medium-fast to fast corners, because the contact pressure with the Venturi effect increases with the speed. Accordingly, it will be highest on the straights where it is not needed. The teams are therefore working feverishly on how to reduce air resistance.

The new numbers are also a surprise because the cars will be 38 kilograms heavier next year and the engines may lose some of their power due to the E10 conversion. Conversely, this means that the new cars generate more downforce. In addition, it can be heard from circles of the teams that the new 18-inch tires from Pirelli are better than expected. There is also some lap time from this front.

Symonds reveals that the future cars were also covered with plastic aprons as a test in their own test series, as they were partly allowed between 1978 and 1982. The result was real monsters. The ratio of downforce to drag increased to 7: 1. This would probably have made the cars three seconds faster per lap.

Shouldn’t one fear such consequences if one succeeds in sealing the side pods by creating artificial vortices? Symonds doesn’t think the architecture of the 2022 cars allows for such a trick. If so, it wouldn’t be prevented as long as it didn’t bother cars in the slipstream. “We’re not worried about the lap times, just about being able to drive better in duels with these cars.”