F1 teams not out to "sabotage" chasing cars - FIA

Norris, Russell, Testing — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 2022

F1 teams not out to "sabotage" chasing cars - FIA

F1 confirms it has looked at the possibility

Ian Parkes

Wednesday 9 March 2022 09:15

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FIA chiefs are confident no team has actively designed its new F1 car to make it harder for a rival to follow given the sweeping changes to the aerodynamic regulations.

The sport's biggest rules overhaul for many years will be put to the test in several days' time when the season kickstarts with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.

The regulations have been purposefully designed to ensure cars can follow more easily and, in turn, hopefully aid overtaking.

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F1 has confirmed it "speculated" over the possibility a team may have developed a car to ensure the one behind could not get as close as planned.

But FIA head of single-seater matters Nikolas Tombazis said: "The aerodynamicists are always going to work for the best performance of their car in relation to their competitors.

"The way the development is done in the wind tunnel and with CFD, and also the fact you have a lot of free running in open air in qualifying, or other significant positions, means it's not practical to just design a car to sabotage a following car.

"You still need to make sure your car is as fast as possible and hopefully doesn't get approached by other people.

"So we don't expect people to work towards these objectives just for benevolent reasons but we do think the way the development happens will keep us within those key objectives.

"There will be some degeneration but not massive we hope."

FIA pleased with 'positive indications'

FIA head of aerodynamics Jason Somerville has confirmed his department spent the last four years "understanding in depth" the wake of a car and its effect on those behind.

"We met one of the top teams recently and we asked them how their wake was looking," said Somerville. "The teams have clearly got performance priorities.

"But their work so far, we're pleased to say, hasn't deteriorated the wake to anywhere near the level the current generation of cars.

"We know there is going to be a bit of noise after their development but what it seems like, certainly from the feedback we're receiving, is that the natural development and performance they're finding is conducive in terms of the aspirations of the wake quality.

"What we don't know yet is how sensitive the cars will be in following but even so, the indications are positive that we are still aligned in terms of our objectives and what the teams have been working on."