Brazilian Grand Prix Preview: The Future Is Now

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Nov. 11, 2019) – The 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship still has two races remaining and the 2020 season won’t officially begin until March 15 with the Australian Grand Prix, yet it’s the 2021 season that has the industry talking, as a new set of regulations will bring wholesale changes to the look and feel of the sport.

There will be sweeping bodywork, an uncomplicated front wing, a bigger rear wing, increased underbody aerodynamics, wheel-wake control devices, simplified suspension and low-profile tires on 18-inch rims. It’s all in an effort to give drivers more than just the opportunity to overtake, but to really race. Augmenting the new car is a budget restriction, where a $175 million cost cap aims to rein in spending to cut the gap between the top teams and the midfield. It is a massive undertaking, hence the reason why teams must think and act on 2021 when there’s still racing to be had in 2019.

And the next race on the Formula One calendar is the Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday at Autódromo José Carlos Pace in the Interlagos neighborhood of São Paulo. It is the series’ penultimate race, and despite Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton having claimed the season title last week in the United States Grand Prix, the Brazilian Grand Prix remains filled with intensity, as the undulating course in Brazil’s largest city proves a challenge for drivers and their teams.

It is run anticlockwise and consists of a twisty infield portion between turns six and 12, with three long straights between turns three and four, turns five and six, and off turn 14 down the frontstretch before the beginning of the Senna “S” in turn one, named after three-time Formula One champion Ayrton Senna, who was born in São Paulo.

As teams look to get a grip on the asphalt of the 4.309-kilometer (2.677-mile), 15-turn Interlagos layout, they’re also looking to get a grip on Formula One’s new technical regulations for 2021. After all, the future is now.

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team

While you’re finishing the 2019 season and simultaneously preparing for the 2020 season, the new technical regulations for 2021 have finally been announced. The 2021 cars will look different and perform different. What is your take on the 2021 car’s aesthetics and its expected performance?

“The car – it’s a little bit different, and it is a change. These are the regulations. We live with them and try to get the best out of it. We’ll try to achieve what the new regulations want to achieve, with more overtaking and a closing of the field.”

Ground effects return to Formula One cars in 2021 after a nearly 40-year absence. The point of ground effects is to lessen the need/impact of wings on racecars to lessen the amount of dirty air. This means all new bodywork and no more complex bargeboards and a simplified front wing and a rear wing with nearly no endplates. As such, where does development happen on the 2021 car? Relatedly, how important does the floor now become to the performance of the 2021 car?

“The development, whatever the regulations, is always in aerodynamics. That’s the main thing to develop. There is still enough freedom where we can develop areas of the car to make them different from each other. We’ll try to get a little bit more performance out than our competitors. The floor is always one of the most important things on a Formula One car. It’s always been important and will continue to be, so not a lot will change in that respect. You’re always working to get everything out of the car from wherever you can.”  

Do these rules still allow Formula One teams to be Formula One teams, meaning they can be creative and come up with their own designs that differ from their competition?

“Yes. In the end, that was achieved. It was the biggest argument between FIA, FOM (Formula One Management) and the teams. The teams didn’t want to have a single-make car or be boxed in too much. We didn’t want to end up with a GP1 series. In the end, FOM opened up the creativity by opening up the regulations. So, hopefully, we can achieve it.”

The potential downside to the 2021 rules package is that the cars get 25 kilograms heavier, going from 743 kilograms to 768 kilograms. Does this mean that while the on-track action will theoretically be closer, will the speeds be slower than they are now, or will teams eventually refine their racecars enough to where they are faster than the car of today?

“Nobody wants heavier cars in racing in general, and even more so in Formula One. It doesn’t make the cars look as smooth when they ride around. With all the technology and the safety aspects and the hybrid technology, you cannot do without it. I don’t think the 25 kilos will be the biggest factor in making the cars slower – it’s more the aerodynamics. Maybe at the beginning we are not where we want to be, but I’m pretty sure we’ll end up with the cars back to being as fast as they are now. A lot depends on the tires, as well.”

Beyond all of these technical regulations, is the best change to level the playing field in 2021 the mandate of a $175 million cost cap? How does a cost cap help Haas F1 Team, an organization that has always been incredibly efficient with its dollars and operates well under this cost cap?

“I think in the beginning the cost cap – how it’s defined now – will close the gap, but it will not take the gap away. We are far from spending $175 million at the moment, and the big teams are well over that. The big teams need to come down, and they will get down to $175 million, but most of the other teams are well within that figure. Hopefully, it closes the gap to start off, then we’ll see. Maybe there’s a second step in the cost cap.”