The 2022 regulations have revolutionized the aerodynamic philosophy compared to the previous generation of cars, consequently giving the single-seaters a different dynamic behavior to be interpreted with an appropriate driving style. However, although the drivers have managed to adapt their driving techniques to better exploit the potential of current cars, the fact remains that their preferences may differ from what the current picture is. The new generation Formula 1 is therefore destined to evolve in the future, con the teams called to meet the needs of their pilotsin search of the compromise that can best enhance the potential of both the car and the person who drives it.
In detail, the 2022 single-seaters show a tendency to understeer at low speeds. The same was also true of the protagonist cars from 2017 to 2021, but to a lesser extent. In particular, the previous cars had an accentuated rake angle, with the car body tilted forward to widen the diffuser outlet section and increase the load released from the bottom, a solution instead abandoned on the current single-seaters that prefer to maintain a ‘ minimum and constant ground clearance. The rake angle tended to increase as the speed decreased, when the loss of load at the rear led to the rise of the rear axle. In this way the front wing moved closer to the ground, increasing efficiency and increasing the relative load on the front axlehelping to combat understeer.
However, the situation has changed with the advent of the new regulations. Tests carried out on 2021 cars but with 18-inch tires already showed an increase in understeer, thus underlining a strong contribution of the new tires in the growth of the phenomenon. However, already during the tests in Barcelona in February Mario Isola explained how there was also competition from the new aerodynamic philosophy: “In the Abu Dhabi tests with the new tires and the old cars the feedback was positive, but many teams suffered from understeer. I think it was useful information for them, because the teams corrected the balance ahead of the Barcelona and understeer was significantly reduced. The behavior of the new machines is completely different, because the aerodynamic package guarantees a lot of downforce at high speeds, but much less load at low mileage. This means that the drivers have to adapt to this situation as well and report a bit of understeer in slow corners “.
The situation has therefore improved compared to the initial situation, but understeer at low speeds continues to be a recurring element on the 2022 single-seaters. The balance also derives both from the distribution of aerodynamic forces, which emerge as speeds increase, and from the mechanical set-up. whose characteristics stand out at low distances. In this regard, it should be taken into account that with the new technical cycle the suspension groups, in particular the external elements, have been even more sacrificed in the kinematics to favor aerodynamics, as explained in FormulaPassion.it by McLaren Technical Director James Key: “What happened this year is that the suspensions and the sidepods [le pance, n.d.r], two areas that traditionally had little influence on aerodynamics, are now aerodynamically much more influential as they relate everything to mechanical work. The front suspension is now the only element standing between the wing and the rest of the car. Last year there were bargeboards, turning vanes and other complex aerodynamic appendages in the center of the car, which could be used in the design phase to condition the flow from the front wing towards the rest of the car, particularly towards the rear. This year we suddenly have none of this anymore, therefore the front suspension plays a much bigger role in the aerodynamic influence and the same goes for the bodywork “. Suspension design with mechanics put to service aerodynamics is a long-standing practice in Formula 1, but its exasperation in 2022 has reduced the tools available to impart mechanical balance to cars to counteract understeer.
Such a technical picture had a direct impact on the performance of the drivers on the track. Taking the case of Red Bull as an example, until 2021 there were major discrepancies in performance between Max Verstappen and teammates who followed one another by his side, such as Gasly, Albon and Perez. As explained recently by the Mexican, in fact, Milton Keynes’s single-seaters were characterized by a very pointed front, with understeer which was therefore a less frequent phenomenon and with a more dancing rear end, a balance of which Max Verstappen was the maximum interpreter in the team: “I think last year was a great car, but it required a unique driving style. You had to adapt and I did, but it took me some time, especially with a few tests. Starting everything from scratch was quite helpful ”. The shift of the balance towards the rear in 2022, as evidenced by the recurring understeer, met Perez’s driving style, but the subsequent development during the current season would seem to have once again favored the front and Verstappen’s preferences: “I think the development has made me a little less comfortable with the car than at the beginning of the season. I have work to do to understand what is happening. The car is going in a different direction than the one I was comfortable with at the beginning of the year “. On several occasions in 2022 Red Bull was struggling with balance problems, with Verstappen complaining of a recurring understeer especially in testing. However, this is an extremely complex picture, as in addition to the mechanical and aerodynamic aspects, there are also the problems of managing tire pressures and temperatures over the lap.
Thanks to the work of the teams, the situation on the understeer front is therefore improving and will continue to evolve in view of 2023. In fact, on several occasions Mario Isola has reported how Pirelli, collecting the indications of all the teams, is developing the tires for next season trying to reduce the chronic tendency to understeer. It will be up to the teams to design cars by predicting this tire evolution and also taking into account the potential balance effects induced by the aerodynamic changes to the 2023 regulations. In any case, each team will first have to decide how much to try to meet the driving needs of the driver on average faster, as is the case of Verstappen in Red Bull, and how much to develop a car that preserves the average performance of both his interpreters.
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