17/12/2018
NEWS STORY
The First Look At 2021's Concept Cars
F1 has been working with the FIA and a number of teams to create a range of Formula One car concepts for 2021 that they hope will provide both better racing and better aesthetics for the future of the sport. The designs will continue to change and evolve in the coming year, but the basics have been drawn up and are ready to start seeing practical testing sometimes soon.
Ferrari have taken the fight to Mercedes this year, with Red Bull being involved and looking for top honours, and F1 is currently working on a design that would become the standard for all F1 cars of the future that would make for a more controlled, safer environment for the driver while still delivering the fast-paced action that has made the F1 what it is today.
At the top of the list of the changes that are being planned is making the cars in a way that allows them to more easily follow each other on the track, which in turn increases the opportunities for drivers to overtake more often. At the same time, there's a push to make the cars more attractive, enough to make them the stuff that young kids would want on their walls, and to rival other big industries, such as eSports betting NZ.
Ross Brawn On Design Ideas
Formula One technical boss Ross Brawn has said that when they began looking at a 2021 car, one of the primary objectives was to create something allowed the cars to race well together, after establishing that cars right now have a big problem when it comes to following each other on the track.
He continued, saying that once the cars are within a few lengths of one another, they tend to lose around 50% of their downforce, which is a substantial amount of performance that is lost, which is why they are looking at ways to improve the designs of the cars to up that number as high as possible: "I'm pleased to say we're at 80%." Brawn has stated.
The Concepts
F1 has been working with governing body FIA throughout on new developments, while some teams have remained in the loop too. The process has seen a number of different concepts on the table, which have since evolved in three stages, and will still undergo more changes in the future.
The first concept includes a halo cockpit protection device that is integrated directly into the car, and makes it far more aesthetically pleasing to look at. The second concept sees a more refined car, which has much of its focus on providing a sleek style in combination with modern aerodynamics. They're also planning on adding larger wheels to the second concept, with Brawn stating that they are committed to having 18-inch wheels in future racing, not just because they look better, but for a number of technical reasons.
In the third concept that's in the works, the wheels and tyres have undergone major changes that see them streamline the airflow, offering better control and higher speeds.