- The new regulations aim to level the playing field
- Better aerodynamics on the cars along with gorgeous looks
In an ongoing effort to improve the sports, FIA – the governing body of Formula 1 – has revealed the new rules and regulations for the 2021 season along with the official pictures of the new car. Almost two years in the making, the objective of the new set of rules is to promote a closer racing and more balanced competition (which seems to be absent lately) while bringing economic and sporting sustainability to Formula 1.
Firstly, the newly designed Formula 1 car for 2021 has a reworked chassis and aerodynamics making it much sleeker and very futuristic. Changes have been carried out to the front and the rear wing and there is a new rear-end layout for the diffuser. The underfloor tunnels have been redesigned and the car comes equipped with wheel wake control wings. In the current cars, the car following behind would lose close to 40 per cent of downforce when slipstreaming, due to the dirty (hot) air from the car ahead. The 2021 car addresses this issue with a reduced downforce loss of only 10 per cent. And the airflow from the car in front is claimed to be cleaner (cooler) and directed higher above the car in the slipstream. This would result in closer actions between the cars on the track. The current powertrain of the turbocharged V6-hybrid will continue to power the 2021 car. But the wheel size is increased to 18-inches along with further improvement in tyre changing rules. Also, the controversial halo over the driver’s head will continue its place in the coming seasons.
In terms of rules, FIA has now put down a budget cap on the teams and limited upgrades on cars during the weekends. This has been done to end the advantage of big-budget teams who can upgrade the cars mid-weekend and gain an upper hand. There are restrictions on component changes over the race weekend as well. Limiting the changes and upgrades will help the cars at the back of the grid to catch up with the cars ahead since the forerunners won’t have an edge of improving their cars further.
FIA has also brought in a cost cap for the teams in terms of the performance and non-performance budgets. A yearly cap of 175 million USD per team on each performance budget has been introduced. This capping will again help the smaller teams as the big-budget teams will have to cut down their spending on making their car faster. We'll also see the new drivers getting a chance behind the wheel during the practice sessions.
The rule-makers claim that fans were the central focus in the decision-making. The new 2021 regulations will be conducive for closer racing, better competition and a fairer environment for all teams to compete while increasing competition, creating a more level playing field and adopting a closer and more exciting racing.
