DANGEROUS BENDS FOR MERCEDES-BENZ
The 2020-21 Formula 1 off-season has been like no other in the championship’s recent history. After pulling off the remarkable feat of holding 17 races during unprecedented global disruption in our modern, hyper-connected world, attentions quickly turned to what comes next. But the way F1 teams have been preparing for the 2021 campaign, since well before the 2020 season came to a flat finish in Abu Dhabi, is rather unusual.
The main difference is that in the wake of the agreement between the teams, F1 and the FIA from during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, the 2020 car designs will be largely carried over into this season. There were subsequent tweaks to the arrangement, significantly involving changes to the car floors to reduce downforce levels by 10%, and a token system allowing some limited development, but the thrust remains essentially the same. The teams will be heavily relying on the work they did producing their 2020 challengers – and many of the mechanical parts these contained – for another year. The design rules revolution that was supposed to be introduced now is, of course, postponed until 2022
But that doesn’t mean preparations for the 2021 season are the same for everyone. McLaren has switched engine suppliers to return to being a Mercedes customer. It has therefore had to significantly adapt its chassis to fit its new engine, with team production director Piers Thynne saying the process means McLaren will enter the new season with “essentially a new car”.
All the teams are also now operating under F1’s cost cap, which stands at $145million for 2021. Some squads, such as Williams, were already operating under that ceiling, so have not had to alter their approaches, or indeed are considering plans to spend upwards towards the cap. But the bigger teams have had to make significant operations changes to comply.
The Mercedes squad can arguably be considered the ‘biggest’ team operating in current F1, given its large staff (approximately 950 people), three engine deals to supply other squads, and, critically, its enormous run of recent success. All told, in addition
