Analysis
Formula 1
Revealed: What F1’s 2019 cars will really look like
Formula 1's recent decision to revise its aerodynamic rules for 2019, ahead of a major overhaul in 2021, is all about trying to improve the quality of racing in the short-term.
Giorgio Piola Matt Somerfield
Edited: May 26, 2018, 12:22 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
Giorgio Piola is the preeminent Formula 1 technical journalist. View our full selection of Giorgio's technical illustrative content
Processional races at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, on the tight confines of Melbourne's Albert Park circuit, and in the recent Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona, highlight how difficult it is for the current, high-downforce F1 cars to follow each other at speed and race closely.
The FIA is making radical aerodynamic changes for 2019 to improve overtaking, which are explained in this animation. The changes will reduce the aerodynamic wake created, allowing a car following another not to suffer from so much turbulence.
These regulations followed in-depth research in collaboration with the Formula 1 teams, and were given the green light earlier this month.
These changes broadly consist of a wider and simpler front wing, a tidier front brake duct assembly - removing the various winglets that presently adorn them, the exclusion of close channel brake duct aero - including blown front axles - and a wider, deeper rear wing devoid of endplate louvres.
These aerodynamic tweaks accompany an increase in the fuel limit to 110kg - to reduce the amount of lifting and coasting drivers do in races to save fuel - and a driver and seat combined weight limit, designed to alleviate the disadvantaged faced by heavier drivers in what remain extremely heavy cars.
As this new animation from Giorgio Piola explains, the new regulations seek to simplify the front wing so the aerodynamic losses caused by following a car are reduced, making it easier drivers to follow each other thanks to the car in front encountering greater drag and the car behind receiving less turbulent airflow to its own aerodynamic surfaces.
The front wings will become bigger, but less complex, featuring smaller endplates and fewer flaps.
The stacked cascades, 'r' vanes and endplate canards that have become commonplace will no longer be permitted, leaving designers fewer tools with which to reduce the drag created by the front tyre and pull any turbulent airflow it would otherwise create away from the edge of the floor to improve underfloor and diffuser performance.
Simplification of the front brake ducts will work in tandem with the front wing changes, encouraging designers to use the ducts for the primary purpose of cooling, rather than aerodynamic gain.
This should mean no more 'blown axle', which currently features on the Ferrari SF71H, Red Bull RB14, Haas VF-18, McLaren MCL33 and Force India VJM11.
The scope available for change at the rear of the car is much more limited dimensionally, but the rear wings will become taller, wider and simpler, which makes more surface area available to generate downforce but also changes the ratio of the main plane and top flap, increasing the strength of DRS thanks to the consequent increase in drag.
This all should give us a glimpse of how F1 will likely look in 2021, when grand prix racing will undergo wholesale changes.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Avoiding hypersoft would be "big advantage" in Monaco GP
Next article "A really talented kid": Charles Leclerc shocked by F1 champions' praise at home GP
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Giorgio Piola
The fascinating story behind McLaren's most iconic F1 car
Formula 1
Formula 1 Apr 3, 2024
The fascinating story behind McLaren's most iconic F1 car
Emilia Romagna GP: F1 technical images from Imola's pitlane
Formula 1
Formula 1
Emilia Romagna GP
Apr 21, 2022
Emilia Romagna GP: F1 technical images from Imola's pitlane
The F1 downforce choices that proved key at the Saudi GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Mar 29, 2022
The F1 downforce choices that proved key at the Saudi GP
Latest news
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 2 h
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 2 h
Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
3 h
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe