MOTORSPORT
Wheels of change; this weekend’s events
In Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s words: “I think Boris Johnson is closer to a deal than we are”.
He was referring to the new Formula 1 technical regulations and the ongoing discussions between the teams, F1 owner Liberty Media, and the FIA — discussions that have dragged on for months, with deadlines delayed regularly amid fears the sport could be further “dumbed down”.
What is certain is that the look of a Formula 1 car will be drastically different to today’s versions.
Not necessarily because of new regulations or design changes or even differences in aerodynamic devices. The fundamental change is the wheel size.
That change, from 13in to 18in wheels, will transform not only the look of the cars but will have a drastic effect on the engineering ethos of suspension design.
The regulation mandating the smaller wheels was introduced when teams had more flexibility about car design and were looking to introduce large brakes.
At that stage, the FIA stepped in to restrict the wheel size and the “aspect ratio”’ was born.
Essentially that relates to the height of the tyre sidewall in relation to the wheel size — and the current tall sidewall tyres contribute enormously to the suspension.
The new “low-profile” tyres being introduced in conjunction with the 18in wheels will see a reduction in the effect the tyre sidewall will have on the suspension.
This has meant a design rethink.
With less bounce or flex from the tyre sidewall, the minimal suspension movement of a Formula 1 car will have to be increased.
This will mean another change in steering characteristics.
The different sizing will also mean the airflow over and around the wheels will change, effecting the entire aerodynamic performance of the car, resulting in more redesign.
The “unsprung” weight of the wheel / tyre combination will also change, further demanding an engineering adjustment.
For such a seemingly innocuous change of simply altering the wheel rim size, the knock-on effects are huge. And that is why this change could not have been made in isolation. It needed a new look at the F1 regulations, a total and holistic look at the general concept of what a Formula 1 car
FOR SUCH A SEEMINGLY INNOCUOUS CHANGE OF SIMPLY ALTERING THE WHEEL RIM SIZE, THE KNOCK-ON EFFECTS ARE HUGE
should be and how it should change for the better.
Hopefully, once the bickering and self-interest from the teams is overcome, the result will be better racing, more overtaking and more entertainment.
Strangely, Formula 1 has always been out of step regarding wheel sizes. Only Formula 1, 2 and 3 have held on to small wheel rims.
IndyCar and Nascar use 15in, V8 Supercars 18in and many roadgoing performance cars use 19-20in.
The new wheel sizing will be first seen on Formula 2 cars in the 2020 season, as a precursor to the introduction to Formula 1 in 2021.
However, the richer teams with huge budgets will be able to test and develop whatever new designs or regulations are finally introduced, and develop them exhaustively, resulting in the same disparate gap between manufacturer teams and customer teams.
Formula 1 cars will look different in 2021 but the look will quickly become the norm. However, it is the on-track entertainment that will be the proof as to the benefits.