The numbers speak for themselves. Last year the lap log counted 67 overtakes at the Bahrain GP. This year there were only 30. At the Saudi Arabian GP, the number of overtaking maneuvers fell from 38 to 33, despite the fact that the starting positions of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc outside the top ten should have favored the statistics.
But the overall picture from the race track also gave the impression that Formula 1 is falling back into previous issues when it comes to on track battles. The throwback to the a few years ago was particularly evident at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly drove at the circuit two seconds apart for 20 laps. None of the pursuers came anywhere close to DRS range.
Charles Leclerc admitted: “I could have gone a bit faster, but when I was closer than a second to Carlos you felt the turbulence of the car in front of you.” Max Verstappen spoke of an effect that felt like a tailwind
Carlos Sainz feels reminded of old times
But it’s not just about the track. The high-speed Jeddah Corniche circuit exacerbates the problem, but it also shows that there is indeed an issue. Which was already seen in Bahrain. It was harder for the drivers to catch up. Fernando Alonso was only able to overtake Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz because he was clearly faster than his opponents.
Carlos Sainz also pointed out this situation after the second race of the year: “I had the feeling that there was more turbulent air while behind other cars. It almost felt like in the old cars.” The Ferrari man suspects the reason for this in the aerodynamic development and in the new floor rule.
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If you take a closer look at the 2023 cars, you have to agree with Carlos Sainz. Engineers are adding more and more outwash elements to their cars. They do it because the regulations allow it. After a year of experience with the ground effect cars, they are now pushing the limits more and more. And have found one or two loopholes. With the disadvantage that the air vortices displaced to the outside meet again behind the car.
A lot more outwash elements
It starts with the front wings. Ferrari converted the five stabilizers between the two upper flaps into five mini wings, all pointing outwards. Mercedes was banned from doing this last year. When connecting the upper flaps to the end plates, the aerodynamic experts also found tricks on how to direct bad air past the outside of the front wheels. The lower wishbones on the front axle on the Red Bull and Aston Martin are also helpful.
The venturi ducts at the beginning of the floor faced outwards from the start. The rules enforcers have deliberately turned a blind eye so the engineers have at least some tools to control the flow under the car. But instead of the handed finger, they took the whole hand, as pointed out by German automobile magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
The outer elements bend more and more away from the car. Both the angle and the vertical structure. Some cars still have a small channel between the floor and the end plate, which increases the outwash effect.
Should the FIA intervene?
The new floor rule may be an own goal. It pushes back the point at which bouncing begins, but it also encouraged the engineers to add all sorts of slots, wings and ledges to the underbody edges to minimize downforce losses from the 15mm rise. Bouncing is mitigated by compensating for large pressure differences at the edges by forcing air outwards.
If the trend continues and drivers continue to complain that they are feeling the turbulence of the car in front more intensely again, the FIA could intervene to correct it. The easiest way would be to extend the DRS zones. But this would only mean dealing with the symptoms and not finding a cure. The regulations were designed in such a way that the cars are easier to drive in traffic over the long term.
One could also see a technology intervention as an opportunity to reduce the Red Bull’s superiority. The only problem is the justification. Although it is a clear goal of Formula 1 to improve the quality of the on track battles, as long as there is no safety risk, it will be difficult to change the rules of the spot.
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