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Are aero changes for 2019 necessary?

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving his Mercedes. (Photo by Wolfgang Wilhelm/Mercedes AMG Petronas)
Roar Guru
26th April, 2018
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The deadline looms for Formula One to submit any technical regulation changes for the 2019 season, with April 30 set as the final date for any proposals to be ratified.

One of the topics on the table for 2019 has been the notion of increasing overtaking opportunities, through a simplification of the complex front-wings on the current spec machines.

This was called for following an eventless curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix, during which the amount of overtakes could be counted on one hand.

Criticism was heavily strewn towards the aerodynamics of the incumbent cars, which favour lap-times more than overtaking.

However, the next two races after Australia saw some of the best racing since the commencement of the new aero-regulations in 2017, with overtaking aplenty across the 20-car field.

Memories of the processional affair in Melbourne were purged as the drivers were rewarded for their efforts in Bahrain and China, leading to the question: should there be any changes for 2019 to improve overtaking?

According to McLaren racing director Eric Boullier, the widespread consensus following the first race was another typical case of F1 being reactionary.

“I think the question first of all, is what is the strategy behind it?” asked the Frenchman.

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“It is just for overtaking, and is it a knee-jerk reaction after Australia? In Australia there was a lack of overtaking, but actually Bahrain was one of the best races for the last decade.

“If it’s a reaction to Australia, that’s maybe a bit too fast and in a hurry.”

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The initial concept behind the radicalisation of aero in 2017 was to make drivers work harder for their overtakes, as it was perceived that overtaking was too simple.

Drag reduction system (DRS) has been criticised since its introduction in 2011, though from 2017 it has been far less effective, with emphasis also on the individual car’s aero package and how they maximise the Pirelli tyres.

The world-beating Lewis Hamilton constantly laments not being able to follow a driver, with turbulence from the car ahead severely disturbing his Mercedes AMG and destroying its tyres.

However, that doesn’t come down to a fault in the regulations which prevents a car to overtake, but rather how the team design their front-end, as other outfits have seldom made that complaint.

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It’s an issue that seems car or circuit specific, to which it could be argued that nothing is perfect. The Monaco Grand Prix rarely sees much overtaking, yet is the quintessential Formula One race on the calendar, as similarly Australia is one of the best four-day events on the 21-race schedule.

With a major overhaul due in 2021, it would be unwise to go tampering with the current formula until then. Minor changes such as the increasing the race fuel allowance by 5kg for 2019 might prove beneficial – allowing drivers to race with their fastest engine modes throughout the duration.

A return to Azerbaijan this weekend, which in 2017 saw one of the most chaotic races, will be most intriguing. Its narrow nature as a street circuit shouldn’t lend itself to overtaking – but the highlights package of last year will show otherwise and definitively argue; these cars are definitely fit for passing.

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