2022 Regulatory Overhaul (a.k.a. Project Death to Dirty Air/DRS-free Overtaking)

[Penfold]

As I mentioned elsewhere, Ross Brawn is to present his 2021 vision to team managers this morning - and who knows, perhaps some details will even be released for us plebs.  Or perhaps they won't be.  What we do get is a peek at two ideas to help bump the number of overtakes for next year.

Proposal 1: Simplify the front wing by removing certain elements that are specifically designed to control the airflow around the front wheels.
Proposal 2: Increase size of rear wing flap to boost effect of DRS.

Now, one of these proposals was put forward by an aerodynamicist who works under Ross Brawn, and one was suggested by the FIA.  Ahh, but which one is which... click the following link to read full details and have the mystery revealed: http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/135189?_ga=2.80407315.566551016.1522877195-462676180.1476909048

[Penfold]

Details have been published: https://www.racefans.net/2018/04/06/liberty-medias-2021-proposal-includes-cost-cap-and-prize-money-changes/

Budget cap! 

[Chrill]

Now, this has been suggested before. That almost created the "Grand Prix World Championship" or whatever they called it ten years ago.

[Penfold]

Yeah, but can you imagine anyone besides Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes joining such a set-up?  Perhaps they could each run eight cars under four different team names... then just need to find some tracks not under contract with F1, some support races not affiliated with the FIA, a whole bunch of fans willing to pay for the experience, and new sponsors to replace those who prefer to stick with F1.  And right at the death Red Bull guys look round and think, you know what, without Ferrari & Mercedes in the paddock this F1 business will be a piece of piss, let's stay.

Anyway... I'm sure the $150 million cap will be bumped higher, probably ending up closer to $250 million - and that won't have to include driver salaries.

[Chrill]

This was the leaked 2010 calendar for the breakaway series:

Code Select Expand


Round Grand Prix Circuit Date Last Formula One date
(if not a 2009 F1 venue)
1 Argentine Grand Prix Argentina Aut?dromo Oscar Alfredo G?lvez, Buenos Aires 3 March
2 Mexican Grand Prix Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City 21 March
3 Spanish Grand Prix Spain Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez 11 April
4 Portuguese Grand Prix Portugal Algarve International Circuit, Portim?o 25 April
5 San Marino Grand Prix San Marino Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola 2 May
6 Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 23 May
7 Canadian Grand Prix Canada Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal 6 June
8 US Grand Prix United States Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 13 June
9 British Grand Prix United Kingdom Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 1 July
10 French Grand Prix France Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours 25 July
11 German Grand Prix Germany EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Klettwitz 15 August
12 Finnish Grand Prix Finland Helsinki Thunder, Helsinki 29 August
13 Italian Grand Prix Italy Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza 12 September
14 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi 26 September
15 Singapore Grand Prix Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore 10 October
16 Japanese Grand Prix Japan Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 24 October
17 Australian Grand Prix Australia Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide OR Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, Surfers Paradise 8 November

I mean, I'd be up for something akin to this. Some exciting tracks here, such as visiting Finland and Imola.

EDIT: Worth noting is that this list had Mexico on it years before F1 really got there. Neat stuff.

[Penfold]

Seven of those are current F1 venues and I'll be amazed if their contracts don't have a no-competition clause.  Perhaps they didn't contain such a caveat in 2010, I don't know if that proposed calendar was concrete or so much wishful thinking, but I'll be surprised if the threat of a breakaway didn't spur Bernie to insert some binding restrictions as licences were renewed.

Anyway, proposed distribution of F1's riches from 2021 onwards: https://www.racefans.net/2018/04/11/revealed-the-winners-and-losers-under-libertys-2021-f1-prize-money-plan/

[Chrill]

That looks a whole lot of reasonable. In other words, it won't happen.

[Penfold]

Fairer distribution of prize money - not an easy one for the big three to criticize.  Now restricting what they're allowed to spend, well I'm sure that's going to be one hell of a fight.

[Penfold]

Claire Williams warns company will shut up shop without a budget cap: https://www.racefans.net/2018/04/18/williams-close-f1-budget-cap/

[Chrill]

Well, even if there is no budget cap they need Sirotkin and Stroll to cope financially. They're clearly doing something wrong. Just look at Haas or Force India. Those teams work just fine.

[Penfold]

I've said before that Force India is clearly getting more bang for its buck than Williams, though still not enough revenue to avoid multi-million Pound losses - that's where a wealthy owner comes in handy!  As for Haas, leaving aside the cosy arrangement with Ferrari which must help on the cost front, they're not run on quite the shoestring budget widely assumed.  Extracts from a piece in Forbes now follow:

"A $150 million budget cap is currently being considered and Haas Formula, the British company which runs the team, would fall comfortably within it.  Its latest financial statements reveal that in 2016 costs came to $116.8 million and the company had just 57 staff.

Haas has also benefited from economies of scale by drawing on the North Carolina design department of its sister outfit, the championship-winning Stewart-Haas NASCAR team. The facilities there include a $50 million windtunnel as well as a 125,000sq ft shop. The icing on the cake is that the machine tools used to build F1 cars are made by Haas Automation, the company which made Haas his estimated $740m fortune.

It isn't possible to confirm how much is spent on F1 by HAAS Formula LLC, the team's North Carolina parent company, as it doesn't release its financial statements. However, it is understood that including the workforce there brings the overall total to around 200."

So a somewhat bigger (more expensive) operation than the headline figure suggests.  That said, Williams & Sauber are surely the worst performers given their annual spend (was probably McLaren last year).

[Chrill]

That said, Williams & Sauber are surely the worst performers given their annual spend (was probably McLaren last year).

Hey, Sauber has already scored points this year. Williams hasn't even been remotely close!

[Penfold]

True, although both Williams qualified and finished ahead of both Saubers in China - and they have Stroll & Sirotkin doing the driving!

[Chrill]

https://www.racefans.net/2018/05/01/f1-approves-car-changes-to-increase-overtaking-in-2019/

So this happened. Changes approved for next season.

Simpler front wings and brake ducts are among the changes which were approved in a vote yesterday. Rear wings will also be made wider and deeper, increasing the power of drag reduction systems.

I dislike the second idea, but the first is neat. It should allow cars to follow each other more closely.

[Penfold]

Wow, they actually agreed to do something that might help drivers follow each other... and then for balance they also agreed to enlarge the rear wings & so strengthen the DRS effect.  If they shorten the DRS zones accordingly then fine, at least the speed boost won't get any more ridiculous, otherwise we're just going to be treated to a barrage of tedious motorway passes.