New regulations
To start off with, the cars are shorter and narrower in an attempt to make them easier to maneuver. We are no longer in the era of “ground-effect” floor boards. These new ones are flatter with larger diffusers. The idea is to make the cars have less downforce and a higher ride height which would hopefully help provide teams with a variety of set up options. The cars’ front and back wings have changed. They are simpler now, less complex and with a greater opportunity for development by teams.
Active Aero is the new DRS (drag reduction system). That’s right DRS is gone — every new fan is now saved from that annoying question “do you even know what DRS stands for?” — and instead the angle of the wing can be adjusted depending on the car’s location on track.
With DRS gone an “Overtake Mode” can be used within one second of the car in front of a driver to access extra electrical energy. This can help with overtaking or putting pressure on the driver ahead.
The new power units are still 1.6 litre V6 turbo hybrids but now have an internal combustion output that has been tripled so there’s a 50-50 split between petrol and electric energy being used. Which has been a very controversial decision. The engine unit uses an ERS or Energy Recovery System to recharge the battery every lap. This is replacing the old heat recovery system which added a lot of weight to the car. Teams will also be running on Advanced Sustainable Fuels which uses carbon capture, municipal waste, and non-food biomasses, creating a more sustainable fuel.
Finally there have been updates to driver safety. The survival cell — where the drives sits — is now being subjected to more rigorous tests and the roll hoop has been strengthened to take up 23 per cent more impact.
New teams
While the sport is not new to a fluctuating amount of teams on grid, this is the first time in almost a decade that there will be more than 10 teams lining up at the start line. With Cadillac F1 joining this season they become the second American F1 team — along with TGR Haas F1 — in a European dominated sport. The team chose experience when picking their two drivers. Sergio Perez is a seasoned driver with 282 race starts, six race wins and over 1638 career points. Last time Perez was on the grid he was driving for Red Bull Racing before a sad departure breaking his contract with the team two-years before it expired. His teammate Valtteri Bottas has 10 race wins to his name with 247 race starts and 1797 points as of season start. He has previously driven for Mercedes-AMG F1 and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. For a team just starting out, having two drivers that will give you the feedback you need to make the car as fast as possible is definitely a huge asset.
If you’re staring at the grid and wondering where did Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber go? Look no further than Audi Revolut F1 team. Even with their new look, new partnerships, and new power engine, the team is still headed up by team principal Jonathan Wheatley and they have maintained their two drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and one of last season’s rookies Gabriel Bortoleto.
Two more drivers
With two more drivers on the grid, are Free Practices and Qualifications going to change? Well, yes and no. Free practices will be the same just with an extra two cars on track. The structure of Qualifying sessions will be the same except an extra driver will be eliminated at the end of each session. So instead of the last five drivers being out it will be the bottom six. The final session will still be the top 10 shoot-out we know and love.
