The 2022 Formula One season has been very demanding for the International Federation. The introduction of the new technical regulation and the audit of the first reporting of expenses made by the teams in 2021 have put the effectiveness of the FIA’s powers to the test. The governing body of motorsport had to make changes to the technical regulations in relation to the unexpected phenomenon of porpoising which wore down the physical fitness of some drivers in the first part of the year.
However, the decision to introduce the vertical oscillation control metric (AOM, ed) after the summer break seemed late if not obsolete thanks to the work done by the teams aimed at mitigating the bouncing. The second “grain” was certainly the infringement of the spending limit from Red Bull. The extent of the violation classified as “minor breach” allowed the Anglo-Austrian team to preserve its sporting results, receiving as a fine only a reduction of the percentage of wind tunnel time and CFD hours for the next season. One of the most delicate aspects is verifying the use of the Wind Tunnels by the teams.
The regulation system governing the use of wind tunnels by teams is very complex. There are basically three phases that characterize the use of the wind tunnel by the teams:
A “run” is the time interval in which the wind tunnel speed is greater than 5 m/s.
The “Wind on” time is the period in which the speed of the wind tunnel is higher than 15 m/s.
By “occupation” we mean the phase in which the speed of the wind tunnel is higher than 5 m/s for a maximum of two “runs” in the same day.
Why were the threshold speeds of 5 m/s and 15 m/s chosen? Probably these parameters have been agreed between the teams and the FIA. Below the speed of 5 m/s it is possible to safely enter the wind tunnel if it is necessary to make a modification to the model. This without stopping the fan and saving quite a bit of energy. Above 15 m/s, which for models on a 60% scale is equivalent to 90 km/h, the test results begin to be significant.
The FIA has divided the calendar year into six periods for carrying out the ATP aerodynamic tests (Aerodynamics Test Period, nda). The first ATP starts on January 1st while the sixth ends on December 31st. The fourth ATP has two extra weeks in relation to the summer break obligation imposed by the International Federation.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
The team that finished 7th in the constructors’ championship is assigned 100% of the hours/runs in the wind tunnel. That is 320 “runs”, 80 hours of “wind on” and 400 hours of “occupation” for each of the six ATPs. The percentage of use of the wind tunnel for the other teams is inversely proportional to the position occupied in the constructors’ standings. For example, Red Bull in the next season will be able to use 63% of the aforementioned hours/run as world champion team and downstream of the further reduction of 10% as a penalty for the violation of the Budget Cap rules.
The percentages of use of the wind tunnels are fixed twice during the season. At the start of the year, based on the previous year’s manufacturers’ standings, and on 30 June based on the teams’ position in the current championship standings. Teams are required to keep logs of all work done in the wind tunnels and must be sent to the FIA within 2 weeks of the end of each ATP. The teams must also archive photos of the models used in each ‘run’ for possible inspection by the FIA. The International Federation can carry out an audit at any time.
The discipline on the use of the wind tunnel by the teams is one of the elements of complexity of the Formula 1 technical regulation. Similarly to the financial regulation, only the meticulous verification of the compliance of the teams’ work in relation to the governing body can guarantee the legitimacy of the sporting result. It is also clear that the FIA must necessarily trust the reports provided by the teams, whether it be the wind tunnel logs or the financial reports which, in the end, are little more than self-certifications.
In order for the show on the track to be the result of merit rather than skilful interpretations by the teams, a “transparency” operation is necessary, which the governing body should promote to protect the credibility of the most important category of motorsport. The complexity of the regulation system, both from a technical and financial point of view, could prove to be a boomerang for the International Federation in the absence of an extensive circulation of the audits carried out, both within the perimeter of Formula 1 and towards a key component part of the sport: the fans.
Leave a Reply