Starting with the 2022 Formula 1 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, the FIA will measure what is officially called aerodynamic oscillations, and cars that do not meet the requirements may be excluded from racing. And at the center of the drastic rules that the international federation will implement in the form of an equation, there is a metric that seems to have been dreamed up by Steven Hawking or Albert Einstein, and the teams must understand and comply with it.
The measure to try to reduce porpoising was first unveiled in a technical directive issued by the FIA’s chief single-seater technician, Nikolas Tombazis , ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, amid some controversy over the timing of the move. the one that was published.
Following discussions with the teams, in particular with all the technical directors at a recent meeting of the governing body’s advisory committee, those rules have been changed again. The FIA issued an updated version which they sent to the teams in draft form on Thursday, and there was no reference to the additional supports on the ground that were so controversial in Montreal.
The fact that it is a draft means Tombazis is open to comments before July 12 , but stresses that the regulations are unlikely to change, so teams must prepare for it to come into force in France.
In the technical directive of the international federation, Tombazis reiterated what he said in the previous version, that safety is the key, and therefore allows the body to make changes at this delicate moment of the season.
“It is becoming more and more evident, as can be seen from the drivers’ comments, that excessive aerodynamic oscillations and/or stalling the car can cause severe pain, headaches or loss of concentration, with the possibility of causing an accident at high speed,” he said.
“They can also reduce the ability of the car to control, thus increasing the probability of an accident,” he continued. “Therefore, the FIA has concluded that cars with excessive oscillation or high levels of rebound can be considered ‘dangerous construction’, extending the term ‘construction’ to issues such as the aerodynamic configuration of the car or its mechanical configuration. “.
The technical director of the governing body stresses that, both under the regulations and the sporting code, “the stewards can disqualify a vehicle whose construction is considered dangerous.”
“While in the future the FIA will consider implementing measures that reduce the propensity of cars to exhibit such short-term aerodynamic oscillations, the federation believes that it is the responsibility of the teams to ensure that their cars are safe at all times during the race. competition,” explained Tombazis.
Two measures are being adopted to solve the problem, and one has to do with a stricter interpretation of article 3.15.8.a of the technical regulations , which refers to the stiffness of the bottom and wear due to friction.
Some teams have been skeptical about how their rivals’ cars have hit the ground so much and still complied with FIA rules, and others may have taken advantage of flex limits.
In fact, Tombazis suggests that some may have been playing by the rules, in that they “consider significant deflections above those accepted in article 3.15.8.a… to be contrived to achieve notably lower pilot heights, and , therefore, a direct aerodynamic gain.”
How the governing body will mediate wear and flex from now on is described in great detail, including a draft of planned changes to the wording of the standards, modifications that remain subject to approval by the World Council of Engine before they can be applied in France.
More controversial is the second part of the regulation, which involves the creation of an aerodynamic oscillation metric, or AOM . After studying the cars in Canada, the FIA has devised the equation that teams must now meet, and which will involve parameters such as track length in the calculation, time and vertical acceleration.
The key is the FIA standard external accelerometer which is placed near the center of gravity of each car, and which communicates via the accident recorder, or ADR . Its signal will be used “to calculate the metric (AOM), which is a representation of the energy associated with cases of large vertical acceleration, and is expressed in J/kg/100km.”
The accelerometer will provide the FIA with real-time data on each car’s vertical acceleration, which will in turn be compared to the federation’s prescribed limit, to be known as AOMLIM . That limit has initially been set at 10 J/kg/100km, and may be revised “as more data becomes available, or if feedback from drivers suggests it is not enough.”
In a sprint or race, the average value of the AOM (or AOMMEAN) of each car will be calculated over “all eligible laps”. To create this measurement, only what the FIA considers race turns will be taken into account, so the entry or exit laps, the first two after the start or a restart, any turn behind the safety car will not be included. or VSC, or a lap done with wet or intermediate tires.
It is made clear that teams face exclusion if they exceed the limit set by the FIA: “Any car whose AOMMEAN exceeds the stipulated AOMLIM will be reported to the stewards with a recommendation that they be excluded from the sprint or race results.” .
However, in 2022, teams will only have three ‘wildcards’ to overcome it, as they are allowed to exceed the limit by 20% in three rounds without penalty, giving them extra room to get their cars running. within the rules.
Tombazis admitted that it is still early days for that, and that there is a lot to learn: In this first application of AOM, the FIA acknowledges that it deals above all with the question of rebound, but not that of pure aerodynamic oscillations.
“Further analysis is needed to best implement addition terms that capture aerodynamic oscillations, provided of course they are shown to cause pilot discomfort and safety concerns,” he said.
“We insist that we expect driving Formula 1 cars to be a physical exercise and that we do not aim for what could be considered a ‘soft setup’,” he continued.
Tombazis confirms that the FIA is studying the introduction of more sensors to obtain a more precise measurement of the oscillations and the calculation of the AOM. They also intend to control pilot sensors such as ear accelerometers, as well as viewing images from front-facing cameras, though this will be for information only, and will not have a regulatory impact.
And in the longer term? The international federation hopes to introduce changes to the regulations by 2023 that will reduce oscillations, and it is understood that a reduction in downforce is among the objectives.
“It remains our aim to implement changes by 2023 that inherently reduce the cars’ propensity for aerodynamic oscillations. In due course, teams will be asked to support these evaluations in CFD by making a number of modifications to their car, and reporting to the FIA of its results”.
In addition, the FIA intends to make a further attrition modification beyond 2023: “The floor-related restrictions noted above are intended to provide a level playing field between all competitors, but it remains desirable to introduce a controlled compliance right at the bottom of the car.
“Some have proposed a concept whereby part of the plate could be constructed from a conforming standard material, such as rubber,” he continued. “We confirm that we remain very open to these proposals and will seek consensus among the teams for such a move.”
As noted, teams have the races at Silverstone and Red Bull Racing to understand the international federation’s metrics, gauge how their own cars compare to it, and prepare to meet the standards at Paul Ricard.
And assuming the revised wording relating to the background is approved by the World Motor Sport Council, they too will have to meet those requirements. It remains to be seen if and how the mods affect the competitive order, and if everyone is capable of it.
