FIA consider more freedom in technical regulations – The Judge 13

Once upon a time a motor mechanic had a wonderful opportunity ahead of him as he pondered designing a racing car. When Formula One was created in 1950, the technical rule book was very simple, such the regulations could have been written on a playing card.

Engine specs set at 1500cc maximum size for engines with acomplressor (supercharger or turbocharger) or 4500cc for naturally aspirated engines. No weight limit either minimum or maximum. Then in 1952 crash helmets were introduced as mandatory but were made from dubious materials and often looked like a soup bowl.

In 1958 commercial petrol became mandatory and alcohol-based racing fuels were banned. The 1960s began in very much the same fashion with a light touch rule book but already huge innovation was taking place.

Cooper built their T51 machine in 1950 where the horse was place behind the cart rather than in front. Rear engines were born. This stopped the drive train having to stretch the length of the car and the weight at the rear created a better balance and more grip for Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss.

Winning five rounds in 59 handed Cooper the constructors title and the enhanced T53 machine won both championships the following year. By 1961 there were no F1 teams running engines placed in the front of the car.

The FIA rule book expanded between 1961 and 1965 to include engine specs amended to a naturally aspirated engine of between 1300cc and 1500cc, no compressors allowed, minimum weight set at 450kg, open wheels mandated, pump fuel only, automatic starter, roll bar required, double braking system mandatory, standardised seatbelt anchorage, fire protection for fuel tanks, fillers and breathers.

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Also safety inspections began to be organised which were previously done by local racing authorities, protective helmet and overalls are now obligatory and a flag signalling code is established.

1962 was another big year for innovation as Colin Chapman built the first monocoque chassis racing car the type 25. Rather than rely on a segmented steel spaceframe, off which components such as the suspension mounting points and fuel tanks could later be hung, he instead created a bathtub-like chassis that incorporated their installation from the off.

The chassis weighed a remarkable 30kg but was much more rigid allowing suspension setups to run more softly and the type 25 was very kind to its tyres.

In the run up to the end of the 1960s, engine power was increased as was weight to 500kg, included were electrical circuit breaker, reverse gear, oil catch tank, a rollbar 5cm above drivers head, two-part extinguisher system and cockpit designed for quick evacuation recommendations were made on seat harnesses, fire-resistant clothing and shatterproof visors. Straw bales were banned from being used as safety barriers in response to Lorenzo Bandinis fatal accident in Monaco in 1967.

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Then in 1968 Colin Chapman nailed it once again and ushered in the new era of Formula One where aerodynamics ruled the roost and the FIA was continually trying to control its use.

Chapman pinched an idea thought to have been pioneered by Texan racer Jim Hall Chaparral 2E and 2F sports car creations. The notion used to lift aeroplanes off the ground was inverted to force the cars to stick to the ground even better.

Entering F1 was front and rear wings and the never engine hunt ever since for more downforce. Chapmans Lotus 49B sprouted a ducktail rear deck for the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, with driver Graham Hill chalking pole position and the race win.

Brabham and Ferrari returned fire at the Belgium Grand Prix mounting full width wings on struts before Chapman hit back with a rear spoiler sitting atop 4 foot long poles bolt4ed directly to the suspension. However, the extra axis movement stressed the rear setup too much and the wings collapsed at the Spanish Grand Prix leaving Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt relieved to survive two major crashes.

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This was the first time the FIA stepped in and by using the technical regulations they banned all moveable aerodynamic features (thereby banning air brakes) and fixed to a sprung part of the car, maximum bodywork height and width restrictions ban the use of dangerous high wings.

The battle then commenced between the FIA and the teams as they each sought to outmanoeuvre the other. Even during the 2023 season the FIA issued a technical directive aimed at preventing flexing bodywork which found its roots back in Chapmans 1968 innovations.

Formula One is not a spec racing series like IndyCar, where the cars a pretty much all the same. The sport has always been proud of its tradition of innovation and each year teams build prototype racing cars with around 20,000 components.

But the regulations have grown and grown over the years and now make up a lengthy tome and some feel there sport is too restrictive something the FIA is also now considering.

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Nikolas Tombazis who heads up the FIA single seater commission and runs F1 on a day to day basis believes there would be benefits should the FIA move along this pathway.

There is a fine line between too much limitation and clearly this is a technological sport, and has to remain so, he said.

But on that side, with too much freedom, there is then potentially very big gaps between the cars, and thats a very difficult line to follow.

Clearly, if you ask an engineer from a team they will say its too much limitation. Im an engineer myself, I would love it if all cars were a complete technological battle. But we do need to consider that theres other factors at play that are important for the sport.

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Additionally, compared to the older days, when maybe there was a bit more freedom, we have financial regulations and we have to also try to limit some of the activities that take place.

Mercedes decade of dominance was setup by the parent company investing a reported whopping $1bn in the all new hybrid engines for 2014. Their power unit was significantly better than the rest and this advantage remained for a considerable number of years.

Tombazis addresses this state of affairs noting, you could have teams building some advantage through an R&D project of some sort, and then having an advantage for a long, long time to come, with no chance of other teams catching up with restrictive regulations.

So, theres this line between freedom and having a competitive championship, plus the financial regulations put us in a very small spot. So, I dont think theres a perfect answer.

To improve overtaking further, moveable aerodynamic parts are on the agenda for the 2026 regulations though how they will be used, is not clear at present. This will see a regulation set in 1969 changed for the first time since Colin Chapman fitted his silly looking rear wings on 4 foot long poles.

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FIA consider more freedom in technical regulations - The Judge 13