Mercedes details F1 technical changes in 2021

Visually and on paper, the 2021 single-seaters will greatly resemble their predecessors. But the few changes added to the technical regulations to slow down the aerodynamic gains recorded each year and preserve the Pirelli tires are not as trivial as they seem. 

Forced to postpone the aerodynamic revolution initially planned for this season for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the governing bodies initially wanted to maintain stable technical specifications in a desire to control costs. 

However, several adjustments were made to preserve the Pirelli tires, particularly after the series of spectacular punctures that occurred during the 70th Anniversary GP at Silverstone last summer. 

James Allison, technical director of Mercedes, explains how these changes are not just cosmetic. 

« 4 sizeable aerodynamic changes have been made, details the British engineer. The main change concerns the rear of the flat bottom which has been planed and notched at the level of the rear tires. When you look at this area it doesn't seem huge but if you remove it in its entirety it represents a gross time loss of one second per lap. 

Added to this are three other changes. First of all, the span of the small fins found on the rear brake ducts has been reduced by a few millimeters. Again, it doesn't seem like much, but we're talking about powerful appendages that influence the overall competitiveness of the car. 

At the rear, the diffuser deflectors have been shortened and no longer sit as close to the ground as in the past. As a result, they can no longer generate the same type of aerodynamic performance as in the past. 

Finally, at the front of the floor, the vents drilled at the level of the side deflectors are no longer authorized, which also leads to a loss of support. 

Combined, these 4 changes bring us back to similar levels of downforce to 2019 ».  

In 2021, the teams will also have a new Pirelli tire, 3 kilos heavier and more durable. The teams had the opportunity to discover it in Portimão last year, then to test them again in Bahrain then Abu Dhabi.

« These tires will have an impact on the performance of the car and the way we tune the aerodynamic platform of the car », also comments Allison. 

As a result of these changes, the new single-seaters will be 6 kilos heavier than the cars fielded in 2020. We can bet that Mercedes, and the other teams, will have done everything possible to try to recover the performance lost on the regulatory field.