For years, Formula 1 has been trying to improve safety in Grand Prix racing in the rain, not only with regards to evacuating water from the tyres, but also with regard to the issue of visibility behind another car.
In fact, the clouds of water generated by the tires and diffuser of the single-seaters considerably reduce visibility for those behind, with greater risks for the safety of the driver. One of the solutions the FIA has been working on in recent months is that of a system of mud flaps to be fitted in the event of extreme rain.
A plan that was illustrated after the meeting of the World Motoring Council last November in Abu Dhabi, but only last week some teams had the opportunity to test the devices studied by the Federation. Unfortunately the first track test with these prototypes was not an immediate success.
Render of the mud flaps tested by the FIA
Photo by: FIA
However, it has proved to be a useful exercise in guaranteeing the FIA a starting point from which to continue the development of the devices, which should not be removed during the Grand Prix, even in the event of a wet to dry track transition. In fact, the test had two objectives: the first to verify that the prototypes did not excessively disturb the aerodynamics of the cars, while the second was to explore the role of the diffuser in creating water clouds that reduce visibility.
Two teams took part in the day of testing: on the one hand Mercedes with Mick Schumacher at the wheel, equipped with mud flap systems, on the other McLaren with Oscar Piastri, who instead drove without the devices so as to allow a direct comparison between the two different situations. Furthermore, turning behind the German, Piastri was able to provide feedback on the amount of spray produced by the modified car directly from the cockpit.
The Woking team did not actively participate in the development of the kits that will be mounted on the cars but, as Andrea Stella explained, in reality some teams, including Mercedes itself, were involved in the design process together with the Federation.
“Obviously it would have been perfect if everything confirmed perfectly and we already had a solution to apply in October or something like that,” explained Nicolas Tombazis when asked how the test went.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“But that wasn’t the case. We are fully committed to making this system work, because we believe that sooner or later it will make the difference between a potentially canceled race or a race to be run. And I think if in its lifetime, if it saves one race and 100,000 people [sugli spalti] from suffering a situation like that of Spa in 2021, if even just once it will make a difference, I think it’s worth it”, added the FIA single-seater development director, recalling what happened in Belgium two years ago, when the race was suspended after three laps covered behind the Safety Car due to the intensity of the rain.
It was the controversial Spa event that prompted increased efforts to reduce spray and improve visibility. The aim is to create something that can be fitted to the cars on occasions when the rain is so heavy that under normal circumstances it would not be possible to race, but which should then also remain on the car in case the track dries out.
Creating the proven devices tested at Silverstone required a lot of behind-the-scenes work. The prototypes essentially consist of two parts: one covers the upper area of each wheel, while there is then a secondary element, placed almost at the level of the lower part of the tyres, aimed at blocking the spray by pushing them outwards. The whole structure is fixed in such a way that it moves with the wheel, a bit like the current system that covers the front tyres.
FIA aerodynamics manager Jason Sommerville and his colleagues tackled a challenge as interesting as it is complicated, namely that of modeling water droplets. Models developed for road car use have provided a useful starting point, but it is clear that a Formula 1 car can evacuate much more water and at much higher speeds.
“Having started this project towards the end of last year, and having done quite a bit of CFD simulations, we quickly realized that it wasn’t as simple as plugging something into the system, running, and you’re done,” says Tombazis.
“First of all, CFD simulations are quite complicated, because you also need to simulate water droplets. Secondly, when there are water droplets inside the streams, the physics becomes quite complicated. Also, a correlation is needed here too, because we don’t have complete knowledge of how much water is evacuated from the tires when the rubber hits the ground.”
“High point is that you don’t know exactly the diameter of the drops, for example. So the simulation gets complicated quickly. That’s why we needed a correlation [in pista]”.
The big challenge is to develop a device that can be really effective, but without causing particular disturbances to a car, remaining safely anchored without flying away at high speeds. In fact, as anticipated, we must bear in mind that the devices will remain mounted on the car even when the track dries, with the times gradually decreasing: “We didn’t want to lose performance and ruin the aerodynamics of the cars too much”, explains Tombazis.
The Belgian Grand Prix was stopped after just three laps behind the Safety Car.
“Although it’s partly unavoidable. And the effective downforce of these big fenders or whatever you want to call them, if you have full coverage, would be quite high. And so their mount on the struts has to be strong enough not to fly off at 300km/h.”
The first tests, however, didn’t reveal even a big impact on water cloud reduction, also because at the moment these devices are quite small: “The devices used were relatively small and only covered small parts of the tires. Personally I wasn’t very confident that they would work. I thought: is the coverage enough? Will it have enough effect? And, apparently, they didn’t make a tangible difference. But we got a lot of correlations and a lot of data that we can now correlate more confidently. So I think it was a useful first test,” added To mbazis.
“However, we’re not quite done with the setup yet. And we have to try again. There aren’t many engineering designs that work perfectly right the first time. So we have to work a bit more. There’s still quite a lot of open wheel. Of course we haven’t confirmed the concept, but I don’t think that’s enough to say it doesn’t work.”
A particularly tricky aspect is the assessment of the amount of spray generated by the diffuser, a clearly difficult issue to resolve: “It’s an inherent problem of the diffusers. But in general, performance cars in other categories suffer less from this problem. So I’m optimistic and this indicates that we have a chance. But, as I said, until we quantify it correctly, we have to continue the R&D program”.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
It will probably take a few more months to develop another prototype and organize another test like the one at Silverstone, especially bearing in mind that in the second half of the season the teams will often be away for both the Asian and overseas appointments, which is why the cars will remain constantly on the road. If and when a device is successfully tested and approved, then practical considerations will follow on how to include it in the regulation. It is a project that does not have a deadline, even if initially the hope was that it could make its official debut in the second half of the current season. However, bearing in mind that the first test did not provide the desired results, everything has been postponed to 2024.
“Once we have something that we think will tangibly reduce splashing, we will have to define the shape, approve it as a technical regulation and then discuss it,” says Tombazis.
“We already talked a bit with the teams during the Technical Advisory Committee meeting. We will have to discuss how exactly to formulate the regulations to make the fitting of this device compulsory. It is not a rocket science question, but it will need to be studied a bit. “All cars should be able to fit a device of a prescribed shape. We don’t want to open another avenue for aerodynamic development.”
“And it would be something that, before a race or during a race, the race director would have to say: this has to happen. If it happens during the race, obviously, there will be a red flag, the system will be fitted to each car and it will be back on track. If it has been designed correctly, it will take no more than 5-10 minutes to fit.”
Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo C43
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Being a standard part, it is possible that the production will not be entrusted to the teams, but that there will be a tender for the supply, as is already the case for other parts of the car: “We have not ruled it out. It is possible, but we don’t know if it will be just a prescribed project for which everyone will have to produce that exact type of part, or if it will be a tender. We have not decided yet. Usually, if it is a tender, it is likely that a team will commit to producing them and then sell them to other teams,” Tombazis explained. Currently, for example, it is Red Bull that deals with the production of wheel trims, which are then supplied to all the other teams.
The F1 teams, meanwhile, remain supportive: everyone understands that it would be a disaster for the sport to have another situation like that of Spa 2021 or, even worse, a day in which the cars cannot take to the track. “There is still work to be done. But it is a problem for which it will be useful to have a solution, because I think the teams and certainly the fans hate that a race cannot be run because the conditions are too difficult,” explained Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin, who followed the Silverstone test closely.
“At the moment [i dispositivi] they are not yet ready to be permanently produced and incorporated from a regulatory point of view. So there is definitely some work to be done. They improve the atomization of the tyres, but the diffuser continues to give off many drops of water, which are then pushed upwards by the force generated by the rear wing”.
“But these are interesting first steps, and we supply the car and some parts for development. It is the FIA’s project and it decides which direction to take and what will happen in the future.”
Alex Albon, Williams FW45
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Inevitably teams are concerned about the aerodynamic impact on their cars, but Shovlin agrees there is a bigger picture. “If the loss is the same for everyone, then the extent of the loss doesn’t really matter. Obviously it needs to make a tangible difference [su come viene gestita la pioggia]. Also, the ride must be stopped to fit these systems, or the ride must not be started to fit. But, as I said, it’s not our project, we have been commissioned to do some work, to make a car work, and the FIA will drive it and decide where the future goes.”
“But the aim of guaranteeing the fans who have paid to come to the track on Sunday a race to watch is definitely a valid one. And I think it’s good that the sport has these initiatives where it tries to find solutions to the biggest problems.”
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