Formula 1 is currently on an unexpected hiatus. Due to the war in the Middle East, races scheduled to take place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled, giving the teams valuable time to further develop the cars. For teams like Aston Martin, Cadillac and Williams, this is a welcome respite and a chance to grab a plug from the middle of the order. Even Mercedes, which is the clear favorite for the title again this year, has a lot to work on if it wants to stop losing positions at the start or overtake the cars in the crowd more easily.
Although the mechanics and engineers will be busy, the technical representatives of all the teams are meeting with the FIA to try to solve the problems that have arisen as a direct result of the new technical rules.
What do new hybrids bring?
Since the beginning of this year, Formula 1 cars have been using new hybrid power units. At the heart of the system is a 1.6-liter V6 turbo engine that runs on carbon-neutral fuel and develops 400 kW (536 hp). It is joined by an electric motor-generator (MGU) that delivers up to 350 kW (469 hp), as long as there is energy in the battery pack with a capacity of four megajoules (1.1 kWh). It’s a battery roughly the size of a Toyota Prius, but in an F1 car at full power, it drains in just over 11 seconds.
The rules actually allow more energy to be used per lap than the battery can store – at the last race in Japan the limit was eight megajoules. This means that drivers, similar to Formula E, must regenerate energy by braking to recharge the battery. However, most F1 tracks do not have enough hard braking zones to collect all the energy needed. In Japan, cars could regenerate about 3.7 MJ. Therefore, the battery must be charged with the V6 engine, even while the driver is holding the gas pedal all the way. This method is called “super clipping” and while it is active, the power to the wheels is significantly reduced. To limit this, the system can draw a maximum of 200 kW from the charging engine, leaving the remaining 200 kW (268 hp) for propulsion.
The result is that an F1 car sometimes has 750 kW (1005 hp), sometimes 400 kW, and sometimes only 200 kW. The problem is that these power changes occur on all 22 cars on the track, but in a completely uncoordinated way, because the software independently decides when and how much energy to use or collect.
What exactly is the problem?
The new engine rules were created to attract more automakers to the sport, and they succeeded: Audi and Cadillac joined, and Honda returned. But, as described, the new formula means that the cars are “hungry” for energy during the lap, which is especially pronounced in the qualifications where the goal is to drive at the absolute limit. As we saw in Japan, this practically neutralized all the fast corners of Formula 1. Drivers are forced to so-called “lift and coast” – letting off the gas well before the braking point – to save energy for other parts of the track. Watching the cars “save” through the legendary 130R corner at Suzuki demoralized almost every fan. Drivers have it worse, Lando Norris from McLaren described such a driving style as something that “kills the soul”.
During races, the bigger problem is a recipe for dangerous speed differences. If one car has a full battery and has 750 kW at its disposal, and the other one behind it has used up its battery and only has 400 kW, the difference in speed is up to 70 km/h. We saw this in Japan when the slowdown Franca Colapinta in Alpine led to a serious crash Olivera Bearmana in Haas. In addition, the system can suddenly deliver more power to the driver than he expected, leading to “accidental” and uncontrolled overtaking.
The fundamental principle of Formula 1, written in the rules for decades, is that only the driver must control the car. This is why there is no traction control, stability control or ABS. So it’s clear why many have a problem with the software now deciding how much power goes to the wheels.
How to resolve the situation?
Even the biggest optimists realized after Suzuka that sport had to do something. The FIA organized a meeting with the teams, after which a statement was issued – “A general agreement has been reached that, although the events so far have provided exciting racing, there is a commitment to adapt certain aspects of the regulations in the area of energy management.”
Over the next two weeks, the various departments of the FIA will discuss which technical and sporting regulations should be changed. While a larger battery would solve the problem, there’s simply no room for it in overcrowded chassis without a significant redesign. One of the possible solutions is to limit the power that MGU can deliver in the qualifications to 200 kW. This would allow drivers to hold full throttle longer. Another idea is to increase the amount of energy that can be collected by “super clipping” from 200 kW to 350 kW. Although this would currently slow down the car even more, the battery would be charged faster, so the collection phase itself would take less time.
Other proposals include allowing drivers to use the aerodynamic configuration for the flats anywhere on the track, not just in defined DRS zones, and giving them more control over the operation of the power unit from the cockpit.
Formula 1 returns to racing from the first to the third of May in Miami, and by then everyone hopes that at least part of the solution will be defined.