https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/17493 Formula 1 must find a "structured approach" to fix its overtaking problem according to the sport's managing director of motorsports, Ross Brawn. The Australian Grand Prix saw just five overtakes, not including the opening lap, as drivers struggled to follow closely, which made mounting an overtaking attempt almost impossible. Brawn says all stakeholders need to work together to find a solution to the problem, which will require a fundamental change in the technical regulations, calling for cars which can follow one another whilst maintaining similar levels of performance. "The Australian Grand Prix had plenty to offer the 300,000 or so spectators who came to Melbourne's Albert Park over the course of the weekend and the hundreds of millions who watched on TV or on social media platforms," commented Brawn. "However, one vital ingredient was missing, namely overtaking, as there were really very few passing moves in this opening round. It's vital that the cars are capable of getting close to one another and racing wheel to wheel. "When there is only a small speed gap between two cars then it's almost impossible for the pursuer to get close enough to mount an attack. We saw that yesterday with Hamilton and Vettel, Verstappen and Magnussen and again the Dutchman and Alonso and with Ricciardo and Raikkonen. "Think of how much wheel-to-wheel dicing we missed out on! And, for the very first time we even had a third DRS zone specifically to increase the chances of overtaking." Brawn confirmed that F1 and the FIA are conducting research into how the problem can be fixed for 2021, when new regulations come into force, but it will require a "structured approach", rather than F1's traditional compromised approach to rule changes in order to satisfy the teams. "The point is, that until we take a structured approach to the problem, we won't really make any progress," added the former team boss. "One of our aims, which we are looking at with the FIA and the teams is that, for 2021, we want to have cars that allow drivers to really fight one another on track. To that end, the FIA and F1 are carrying out an aerodynamic research programme with two car models, both in the wind tunnel and using CFD. "We need to evolve a car design that achieves close to the level of performance we now see, but permits wheel-to-wheel action. "Formula 1 fans want to see a better show and overtaking is the most exciting and spectacular element you can have on track. The whole Formula 1 community must make an effort to satisfy this need, because the fans are our biggest asset."
They're gonna conduct research for 2021? Very frustrating they have not and will not fix this sooner.
At least they are aware of the problem. Whether anything will actually be done about it is still in question.
This is like watching paint dry F1 is ..or should be... one of the most dynamic sports around. It's not rocket science, Less aero Less downforce Simpler PU etc etc,basically a more even playing field,which of course the big bucks manufacturers do not want. More driver / less car....
I don't work in F1 and am not an engineer, but at least according to Ross Brawn and Adrian Newey's books, they just can't make huge changes much faster, much less get all the teams to agree on what will happen and the timeline.
Simple...take away all the wings. Let the drivers sit in little cigar shaped cars like they used to. Go too fast and they'll become airborne and die. Go too slow and they get passed. The only aero devices that should be allowed should immovable parts of the car's body...and it must be a molded part of the body, not attached to it. Each car will be allowed to have two versions of their bodies. High speed or high down force. Nothing else. Yes things will get tricky...it might take a driver like Fangio to have the balls to drive one flat out. But it will be real racing again.
I guarantee you that creating an aerodynamic mess behind your car is a large factor in aero design. Sure each team wants minimum drag and maximum downforce, but they also DO NOT want anyone to be able to pass. So by creating a large wake behind the car, they have a huge advantage. The inability for cars to pass is not an innocent byproduct or by accident. It is designed in. Fixing this isn't going to be easy as long as complex aero exists. Newey et al want that aerodynamic mess behind their car.
Yep, a little aero foil that disturbs air here and there but only cost a hundredth a lap in drag....no brainer.
I doubt if it even goes that far... Newton’s third law says that for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. F1 aero generates downforce...if the car is being ‘pressed’ towards the ground, the necessary byproduct is something (air) will move in the opposite direction. Some of the aero is used to ‘clean up’ the resulting mess...but it’s not all cleaned. IOW, I don’t think they need to add features...I think they strategically choose how much cleaning they do to an already messy situation.
About overtaking I think the simple answer is for the FIA to give ability teams to decide on concepts of what aero should be able to end the differculty overtaking and build the concept so that it proves it work. Also OT found out why 2012 had lots of winners it's thanks to artifical regs and tires that performly randomly in teams hence 7 different winners in races. From f1 technical
Mercedes know the aero, cannot pass 'force field' well right now. Qualy engine mode for pole, good start, minimal driver error or mechanical/tire issues = win. You cannot pass without +1.5 or more closure on the car in front.
So long as F1 is in love with aero there will be no passing. It is ironic that the FIA and F1 like to imply that there is a high degree of relevance between F1 and road cars, yet the primary key to performance in F1 is aerodynamic fixtures that have very, very little relevance to road cars.
Conduct research in the wind tunnel and cfd? I can save you a few dollars and a few years; just limit the number of aero appendages, as I mention in another post, let’s say three in front of the front axle, three behind the rear axles and three inberween the two axles. I counted over 14 on the scud front wing along!! This is not rocket science; get back to basics!
If wind tunnel testing were 100% forbidden, perhaps the sheer number if winglets, flip-ups, and other aero crap would be reduced. It would also greatly reduce costs.
Personally,... I'd give them a maximum surface area to play with. For example 750 cm^2 for the front wing. Total surface area... everything counts. top, bottom, end plates, struts between elements. Same concept for the rear wing. Pick a surface area limit and let the teams have at it.
You would also have to limit internal ducting or count any surface that is touched by airflow outside of radiators/heat exchangers and induction inlets.
I’m not sure windtunnels drive development theses days. My understanding was it’s cfd, with windtunnels being used to validate results rather than being used to trial ideas. That said, the shear number of ideas they need to validate keeps the tunnels running at max utilisation. But I hope somebody on here is in the know and can let us know; as much as they can obviously.
I have a link to a 1 hour seminar of the 2017 cars aero....it's all CFD....nothing on wind tunnel testing.....just to see how all this crap works.
Looking at some pics in another thread, there are more like circa 40 different aerofoils on a front wing! Nuts. No wonder the cars get upset in unsteady airflow.
This is all Bs!! You wanna make me believe that somone like Brawn doens't know already how to solve the problem? Crap we all do, at least in a vague way...we all know cars need to be smaller, especialy in the width, front wings must be reduced dramaticly in order to make the cars less sensitive to air coming from cars in front...with thinner cars, smaller wings, drivers won't be so afraid to touch and brake something and they'll have more space to try and overtake.....simpler wings will help, alow just for 1 or 2 elements fro wing and the acrs will look much better and will be much more simple to drive in dirty air....it doesn't take a gebious to solve the problem, just the will to do it!
