Technology Controversy Mercedes DAS Dark Secrets of Managing Pirelli’S Explained Oil Burning 2020 Tyres Advance Technology to Engineer a Fast Changing Future
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A digital supplement from the publisher of F1 2020 preview >> Technology controversy Mercedes DAS Dark secrets of Managing Pirelli’s explained oil burning 2020 tyres Advance Technology to engineer a fast changing future www.ycom.it Untitled-75 1 10/12/2019 15:50 F1 2020 | COMMENT CONTENTS SEASON PREVIEW 4 TESTING REPORT A challenging year ahead, but not a predictable one 2020 TYRES 14 LOOKING FORWARD Same shoes this year, new mules for 2021 RESOURCES 22 2020 VS 2021 When will teams make the switch? OIL CONSUMPTION 30 BURNING QUESTION How are teams meeting the new, reduced oil allowance? he 2020 F1 season kick-off was initially rather As many of the teams had accused Ferrari of cheating uninspiring. There were fewer public team launches through either manipulating the fuel flow meter or burning Tthan ever before, and when the first shots of the ‘new’ oil in the combustion chamber for additional horsepower (see cars were released, you needed a trained eye to spot the p30), it was no surprise to then see all seven non-Ferrari- differences. It seemed that 2020 could be a boring year. powered teams simultaneously release statements formally A week later, at pre-season testing however, that all changed. objecting to the settlement, and threatening legal action. Day one at testing is always exciting because it’s the first time The FIA responded, defending its approach and media get to lay eyes on the real cars, with teams such as Haas, justifying its integrity, but this row is far from over Renault and Alfa Romeo all revealing their 2020 contenders. as teams continue to push for transparency. By day two, the teams’ test programmes were in full Meanwhile, the coronavirus outbreak has already affected the race swing, the media frenzy had started to settle and the paddock calendar with governments in several countries restricting travel and began to fall into the usual rhythm of pre-season testing. cancelling major public events. The Chinese Grand Prix has already However, just before lunch, been postponed. Bahrain has banned Mercedes’ onboard flickered onto fans from attending its Grand Prix, while the screens in the media centre. The Maybe the 2020 season Ferrari was forced to cancel its second media was typically hypnotised by 18in Pirelli tyre test at Fiorano (see p14). the seamless driving of the six-time will be fascinating after all With Northern Italy, the home of the World Champion Lewis Hamilton as he largest European coronavirus outbreak, weaved in and out of the corners, the Mercedes W11 dampening currently in lockdown, the effect on the Italian teams such as Ferrari every load, bump and vibration. But hang on… Hamilton seemed and AlphaTauri, as well as suppliers such as Pirelli and Brembo, to be pulling his steering wheel towards him on the straights and could be disastrous. But what happens if they miss a race? Should pushing it away in the corners. And so, the Mercedes Dual-Axis these races be cancelled? Will F1 fund chartered flights? Who Steering (DAS) system made its worldwide debut (see p4). will pay for the teams that have already made it to the track? Since then, the 2020 season has taken many twists and turns At the time of writing, F1 was not only trying to before we have even reached a race weekend. Unsurprisingly, defend its championship from a global outbreak of following testing, the legality of the Mercedes DAS system coronavirus, but also the attack of seven of the 10 teams was scrutinised. The FIA announced it was legal, but went on in the wake of the Ferrari engine controversy. to tweak the 2021 rules to ban such a system in the future. Maybe the 2020 season will be fascinating after all, Then on the last day of testing, F1 released a cryptic statement though not necessarily for the right reasons. revealing the FIA and Ferrari had reached a ‘confidential settlement’ regarding the Italian marque’s 2019 power unit. Gemma Hatton Racecar Engineering • F1 2020 season preview 3 F1 2020 | TESTING REPORT Testing times If you thought the 2020 Formula 1 season was just going to be biding time before the ‘all-new’ 2021 rules come in, think again. By Gemma Hatton Unlike last year, Williams hit the track on the first day of testing, along with the rest of the field 4 F1 2020 season preview • Racecar Engineering he 2020 season was set to be the calm before the storm, with 2021 marking the beginning of a new era in Formula 1. TYet despite stable regulations and this year’s crop of cars looking very similar to their predecessors, there have been some fascinating developments on both the technical and political fronts. Not only are teams fighting for this year’s championship, they also need to focus on developing next year’s car to get themselves ahead in 2021. Add in a hectic, 22-strong race calendar (with the added complications of the coronavirus outbreak), a Pirelli 18in tyre testing programme and the forthcoming 2021 budget cap, and 2020 could be the most challenging season yet for the teams. ‘It’s always one of the big questions – when do you start work on the new car?’ says Pat Symonds, F1’s chief technical officer. ‘Between 2019 and 2020 it has been relatively easy because we have had less regulation changes, so the 2020 cars are very much an evolution of 2019. ‘The teams have been working with us on [their 2021] cars for over a year now but, like all learning, you have a steep curve in the early days and then it levels out. When you switch over [to the new car] is also a function of where you are in the championship, and how much money you’ve got. I think there is going to be a good fight at the front Pat Symonds, F1 chief technical officer Racecar Engineering • F1 2020 season preview 5 F1 2020 | TESTING REPORT The Racing Point RP20 (above) shares many similarities with last year’s Mercedes W10 ‘Remember, the budget cap doesn’t The regulations this year have remained come in until 2021, so teams can spend stable, with only a few minor tweaks. a lot this year. If a team dominates at These include a 2kg increase in car weight, the start, they can probably afford to without fuel, to 745kg and an extra MGU-K switch a little earlier, but I think there unit, meaning drivers now have a total of Seven teams united is going to be a good fight at the front, three for the season, matching the allowed which I hope will stop some of the number of Internal Combustion Engine, against Ferrari teams getting on with their 2021 cars, Turbocharger and MGU-H elements. whereas the teams at the back may The brake ducts now qualify as ‘listed and the FIA need to put more effort into 2021.’ parts,’ which means the teams have to 6 F1 2020 season preview • Racecar Engineering Brake ducts are now ‘listed parts’, which means teams have to own the IP to these components. Here’s the front brake duct of the MCL35 at pre-season testing (left) and the MCL34 at the 2019 Mexican GP (right) hold the intellectual property of these FIA has recently and controversially It is likely the system aims parts and design them themselves, reached a ‘confidential’ settlement. rather than buying them in. Essentially, there was a lot of to dynamically change the Another rule change is that the leading speculation around Ferrari’s 2019 power 50mm of the front wing end plates must unit, with many theories on how Ferrari toe of the front wheels now be made purely of carbon fibre. had gained a power advantage either Any metal fasteners or inserts used for through leaking cooling fluid or oil attaching the end plate to the wing into the combustion chamber and / or profiles are only allowed 30mm rearwards manipulating the fuel flow sensor (with two see how F1’s new commercial rights from the leading edge. This has been now stipulated for 2020 and a standardised holder, Liberty Media, alongside implemented to further reduce the fuel system introduced for 2021). F1 and the FIA, deal with this. likelihood of tyre damage during contact. Against this backdrop of speculation, The clutch paddles now need to it was subsequently announced that ‘an Was ist DAS? be pull-type, opening the clutch when agreement’ had been reached between the Another interesting technical story the paddle is pulled towards the driver. FIA and Ferrari, and that ‘Scuderia Ferrari to emerge from pre-season testing, Furthermore, the regulations state: ‘When have agreed to a number of technical though, was that of the Mercedes commanded by the driver, the amount commitments that will improve the Dual-Axis Steering system, otherwise of clutch engagement will be expressed monitoring of all Formula 1 power units for known as DAS. Now, it’s important in the FIA ECU as torque at the rear axle forthcoming championship seasons, as well to acknowldege that until Mercedes by applying a gain of 4500Nm / 90% as assist the FIA in other regulatory duties reveal the exact details of the system, to the clutch paddle position between in Formula 1 and in its research activities we can only speculate. However, it is 5% and 95%’, meaning drivers will now on carbon emissions and sustainable fuels.’ likely the system aims to dynamically have more control over their starts. In other words, it appears that the FIA change the toe of the front wheels. Also, the allowable amount of fuel could not find enough evidence to sanction ‘We have a system in the car, it’s a that can be kept outside of the fuel Ferrari but, if the Italian team worked with novel idea,’ confirmed James Allison, survival cell (tank) has dropped from two the FIA to help amend the regulations to technical director at Mercedes.