The new generation of Formula 1 cars has undergone a series of modifications since its introduction in 2014. If last year, cars became bigger, with bigger wheels this season, Halo became mandatory for machines. category. Always on the move and looking for more overtaking in the races, F1 will change again in 2019.
And at the dawn of 2018 to receive the new year ahead, the main changes are technical, as the front fenders, brakes and side fairing; Biometric gloves, a new helmet model and more fuel to allow riders to accelerate longer are news that will also become valid from next season.
But the category will also undergo changes in the sports arena, such as an updated punitive system for pilots exceeding the annual limit of used engine parts, new rules for the safety car and a new one. weighing system for the driver and the car.
According to the International Automobile Federation (FIA), new rules for the upcoming Formula 1 season will allow cars to come closer during races. With larger and simpler front fenders, wider and deeper rear fenders and other minor modifications, the entity estimates that the loss of support from the rear car during a track race is reduced by one-third . would provide more proximity between pilots and, therefore, more fights and overruns.
Under the new regulations, the dimensions of the front and rear fenders will be modified and the configuration simplified, so that the air directed towards the rear car is "less dirty" and allows the rivets that follow to follow. cars closer, offering more chances to overtake. The other parts that will change are the barges – and the mobile wing system (DRS) that will expand, which will further reduce drag when it is opened.
Comparison of the aerodynamics of F1 cars in 2018 and 2019
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After the Halo, the FIA has taken another step to protect the most vital part of the human body, the head. Therefore, in 2019, a new helmet will be mandatory. The standard, called FIA 8860-2018, offers several enhanced safety features over current models, such as ballistic protection – able to absorb even more intense impacts from high-speed objects – and panel replacement. in zylon of the visor. Check here for details of the new protection.
New FIA 8860-2018 helmet for the Formula 1 2018 season – Photo: FIA
was tested by Valtteri Bottas during the training of the Italian GP of 2018, already with the paint used in Finnish rider helmets.
The play, due to increased structural protection, presents a vision more limited for drivers, but seeks to protect competitors like that of Felipe Mbada at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009.
Formula 1 felipe mbad spring spring accident – Photo: EFE
Power to eat Christmas, pilot
Since the introduction of the current generation of cars in 2014, the minimum weight of machinery has increased, mainly because of the latest changes that have made the car and the wheel larger – in addition to the adoption of Halo.
Despite this increase, the heaviest pilots were still paying high prices, such as Nico Hulkenberg. This is because the weight of the car and the driver have been added together. The lighter competitors took advantage of "leftovers" and applied ballast to certain parts of the car, which allowed them to optimize their performance.
However, the weights will be added separately, the minimum size of riders being set at 80 kg
Nico Hulkenberg – Photo: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images Those who are lighter will continue to use ballast, but they will be directed just below the bench, without the possibility of a strategic weight distribution. The weight that was 734 kg (car + driver) in 2018, will be 743 kg, 80 kg of the driver + 603 of the car.
The risk that the pilot will be forced to follow an extreme regime, which, in some circuits, may be detrimental to the health of the pilot. Teams who change drivers in no time will not be punished for not having calculated the weight of the driver during the development of the car.
And next season, they will talk. The proposal, expected to come into effect in 2018, will begin next year. A biometric sensor, three millimeters thick, would be sewn inside the glove, allowing, at this first moment, to calibrate the vital signs and the level of oxygen in the pilot's blood. .
Pilots will wear biometric gloves in 2019 – Photo: Getty Images
This technology would badyze the health status of a pilot over time. real, while being useful in cases where the removal of the competitor from the crash site is complicated, as in the case of Carlos Sainz during the 2015 Russian Grand Prix, when the Spanish s 39; is crushed and found stuck under protective barriers.
Carlos Sainz Jr. Russian GP 2015 – Photo: Getty Images
However, it is not possible to see the results of this event. In the future, the device is also used to inform body temperature and respiratory rate. Once the drivers Mercedes, RBR and Ferrari have tested the gloves at the GP of Hungary, all that remains is to decide where the sensor is to be fixed in the accessory.
In 2019, when the safety car leaves the track to enter the pit lane, yellow flags will be displayed until the riders cross the control line. Although it was no longer allowed to overtake before crossing the line, green flags were shown as soon as the safety car left the track, sending a confusing message to the drivers. Now, when security enters the pit, the "SC" signs will disappear from the electronic cards as it has been, but leave room for yellow signals instead of seeing them.
For the sake of ranking
The main change in the sports rules section concerns punishments in the starting grid. In 2018, a driver who exceeds the penalty of 15 positions on the grid by exchanging engine parts is sent directly to the last place. If two pilots receive the same punishment, the one who used the new piece advances first.
But this model generated bizarre scenes in 2018. In addition to the riders leaving the pit lane with 10 minutes before the first free practice, many had participated only in the first quarter in qualifying to save equipment, as they already knew it. in which position they would fall. From now on, the starting positions will be determined by the ranking orders, which should force the competitors to leave the boxes during the training defining the grid.
Daniel Ricciardo at the GP of Brazil – Photo: Reproduction
In two seasons, cars will know a new revolution. F1 introduced the concepts for 2021 in September. Style and substance "were the terms used in the presentation of the new concepts, which aimed to provide better races, with a simplification of the aerodynamics so that the cars can get closer to each other and that the overtaking is not so difficult
F1 released the concept of cars for the season 2021 – Photo: Reproduction / FOM
Another novelty painted in 2021 is the adoption of 18-inch wheel rims, instead of the 13 currently in place, which will therefore make the tires. undergo significant changes, with the lowest profile. The front tires will be narrower and, instead of the current 305 millimeters, 207, while the diameter of the rear tire will increase from 670 to 700 or 720 mm (one definition is still missing).
Pirelli, the exclusive supplier of Formula 1 since 2011, no longer wishes to place tires for 18-wheel rims in the category. tested with the French Charles Pic, then Lotus reserve driver, with this change, teams will have to completely change suspension design and recalculate the weight distribution in the cars.