Here's Your First Proper Look At A 2021 Formula 1 Car

Formula 1 has released some images of the wind tunnel model being used to test out aerodynamic concepts for the 2021 regulation changes
Here's Your First Proper Look At A 2021 Formula 1 Car

There are still a whole host of things the sport needs to work out with the 2021 regulations, with the final drafts of the rules not expected to be revealed until October. But when it comes to the actual basic aerodynamics, things aren’t quite as contentious. Over the last couple of years, Formula 1 has been trying to work out how to dramatically reduce the turbulent air produced by the cars without compromising downforce - and therefore speed - in the quest for fast cars which can race closely. In other words, F1 wants to have its cake and eat it, too.

Although much of the development for the new aero package has been done using CFD, there’s still no substitute for a good old-fashioned wind tunnel. F1 has been using the facilities at Sauber to help develop the shape of the 2021 cars and has released some images of the 50 per cent scale model that it’s been using.

Here's Your First Proper Look At A 2021 Formula 1 Car

OK, so it’s perhaps not quite as fantastically futuristic as it looked in the early renders, but it still looks rather cool. The front and rear wings look to have been seriously simplified; the smooth, almost one-piece rear wing in particular looks very old-school (in a good way) while there’s a bit of a 90s vibe about the sloping nose.

The overall lines of the car are much cleaner, too, with far fewer of the complex winglets and intricate bargeboard designs, and the Halo looks to be much better integrated into the overall shape. As a whole, there’s more than a hint of IndyCar about the overall look - again, not a bad thing.

Remote video URL

It’s interesting that the new 18-inch wheels appear to be covered with hubcaps once more - presumably in order to prevent teams from continuing with their crazy tricks of blowing the axles, something which produces a lot of aero wash and hinders overtaking.

All that lost downforce from the upper surfaces is being made up for by an increased use of ground effect and underbody aero, as hinted at by the whopping great diffuser. The net result should be cars which are about as quick as the 2019 ones are, but with far less of a dirty air effect. Indeed, the FIA’s single-seater tech guru, Nikolas Tombazis, told the F1 website:

“Fundamentally the CFD was correct. There have been no major surprises. So there is a 5-10 per cent wake disruption, compared to the current levels of 50 per cent, although it depends on the exact configuration you are testing and so on.”

It all sounds pretty promising, but we won’t know just how well the new cars will race until we see them on track in 2021. But the looks? You can absolutely judge those and on that front, it’s so far, so good.

A version of this article was originally published by WTF1

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Comments

Anonymous

5-10 compared to 50 percent? Now that’s what i call improvement

08/22/2019 - 17:55 |
8 | 0
Anonymous
08/22/2019 - 17:56 |
17 | 0
Robert Gracie

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

FIA the biggest contradiction possible is the FIA itself

08/23/2019 - 13:42 |
2 | 0
1950 Mercury Coupe

Front looks like it has big floppy moustache.

08/22/2019 - 18:18 |
3 | 0

It’s a prototype so they could change the way it looks mid-way 2020 when they’ve finalized everything.

08/22/2019 - 18:45 |
2 | 0
effisjens

the only thing i don’t like about it are the winglets above the front wheels, everything else gets a pass

08/22/2019 - 18:48 |
2 | 0
Ali Mahfooz

The ground effects look promising! Simplified front wings, bargeboards and rear wings should give mid fielders a potential chance in engaging in battles and at winning races!

08/22/2019 - 19:06 |
11 | 0
Wogmidget

Aw yeah, that’s more like it

08/22/2019 - 21:04 |
1 | 0
That_1_Guy

well at least i can now forgive the new rims

08/22/2019 - 21:45 |
1 | 0
Robert Gracie

Now we need the FIA sanctioned Smokey Yunick….Ross Brawn….to break the rules and tell them how to close the loopholes after all, “As far as cheating goes, they’ll never stop it, The only way it can be done successfully, only one person can know about it”

08/23/2019 - 09:30 |
1 | 0
Luis Angel

The wheel covers look SO GOOD.

08/25/2019 - 19:30 |
1 | 0
Ian4bis

I see fenders

10/15/2019 - 19:40 |
0 | 0