Revealed: The Formula 1 Regulation Set to Adversely Affect Mercedes-Red Bull as Ferrari Gain

Ever since Formula 1 entered the turbo-hybrid era, only one team dominated the sport. Now, periods of domination are nothing new in F1 or in any other sport for that matter, but a period of domination that stretched to seven (and later eight) consecutive championships?

F1 knew something had to be done.

Because let’s be honest, when one team keeps on winning, the excitement evaporates from the sport; it becomes dull. And F1 met that fate. So in 2020, F1 announced a significant overhaul of rules and regulations to make the field more compact in terms of gap, basically to make the sport more competitive again.

“We have to bring a Formula 1 back onto the track in which a midfield team can trip the top racing teams on a good day,” F1 Managing Director, Motor Sports Ross Brawn had said.

Several measures were used as tools by Brawn and F1 to attain this objective. Some of them caused an immediate impact, like budget caps and updated car aerodynamic regulations.

But there is something which will impact all teams, some more than others, and some to a less favorable result comparatively. That thing is the percentage of wind tunnel development or Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) leading up to 2025.

This rate or percentage of this will be based on the final standings of the 2020 constructor’s championship. And the lower a team finished in 2020, the more development they’ll get and vice versa.

Here’s the list of the 2020 standings –

1. Mercedes – 573
2. Red Bull – 319
3. McLaren – 202
4. Racing Point – 195
5. Renault – 181
6. Ferrari – 131
7. AlphaTauri – 107
8. Alfa Romeo – 8
9. Haas – 3
10. Williams – 0

What will be the rate of CFD development each Formula 1 team will get?

According to that, Williams will get 115% aero development from 2022 to 2025. Haas will get 110%, Alfa Romeo 105%, Alpha Tauri 100%.

Moving up the field, Ferrari, who had a terrible 2020 season, seems to benefit from this regulation as they’ll enjoy 95% of aero development. Alpine will get 90%, Aston Martin will get 85%, and McLaren 80%.

And, the two teams who are losing out the most with this regulation are Mercedes and Red Bull as they will get 70% and 75% aero development, respectively.

There’s a Bob Dylan lyric from one of his great songs that fits perfectly in the context of this Formula 1 regulation.

“For the loser now, will be later to win, for the times they are a-changin’.”

Also Read: Sebastian Vettel on Recent Engine Regulations: “F1 Will Disappear If They Don’t Come – and Probably Rightly So”