F1 2030 rules

[Taxi645]

F1 considering the return to simpler atmospheric engines for 2030:

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...ngines-report/

“It is a personal consideration of mine, not yet shared with the teams, even if we have spoken about it with the FIA, that if sustainable fuels work, we will need to carefully evaluate whether to continue with hybrid (technology) or whether better solutions will be available.”

Here is my take on what the 2030 could/should look like.




F1 2030 rules


Engine/fuel

- 100% sustainable fuel
- 3.0L V10
- 16.000 RPM limit (to limit cost, sound volume, fuel use, top speed with low drag aero)
- Max. output roughly 800 BHP + max. 80 BHP from KERS (this is more than enough due to the low drag).
- simple KERS system (nu push to pass, because too artificial and not needed, see chapter aero)
- Moderate minimum engine weight of 110 kg (cost reduction)


Chassis/wheels

- Max. wheelbase 3.200 mm
- Width 1.900 mm
- Min. weight: 695 kg
- Wheel size 15"
- Tyre size:
o Rear: 355/645/R15 mm
o Front: 245/645/R15 mm

Aero

- Aero surfaces that are free to bend naturally under the different aero loads throughout the speed regime (low drag straights, high downforce corners)
- There is a moveable side brace that supports the wing in corners so it doesn’t flex away as much in high speed corners (based on for instance on hydraulic pressure delta left and right side of the suspension).
- This brace has an end stop to control how far it can move towards the end of the wing to support it.
- This end stop is in a slightly higher position when following another car so max downforce is a little higher to counter the down force loss due to dirty air.
- Aero is further simplified to further reduce the vulnerability to dirty air we saw pre ground effect.
- The above allows aero to be generated more from the top side of the car again, which will lead to:
o Less requirement for ultra stiff suspension to keep it in the right aero regime
o Less problems with wet weather racing (because of the smaller wheels and less interaction with turbulent low pressure air underneath the car that creates more like fog rather than spray).



Is 695 kg realistic?

If we take we take the 2013 minimum weight of 642 kg of the V8’s with KERS:
Then add:
+15kg engine (V10 in stead of V8 and slightly lower spec built to reduce cost.)
+27kg safety and driver allowance
+10 kg (slightly larger car)
- wheels/tyres (slightly wider rear, slightly smaller diameter)

Total: 694kg



Won’t they need to carry too much fuel without the more advanced hybrid and turbo tech?

Yes, fuel carried could possible go up a bit. Some factors help in that regard:
- Much much lower drag increases efficiency
- Much lower weight
- KERS aids efficiency
- 16.000 RPM limit promotes efficiency
- Combustion technology has improved compared to previous atmospheric era’s.


Won’t the move to simpler hybrids have a negative effect on the environment?

The fuel used by the cars themselves will go up slightly, but it sustainably produced. The overall CO2 footprint of F1 will decrease because the lower CO2 output of producing and shipping smaller cars and tyres, but this reduction will be negligible compared to F1’s overall CO2 footprint.


What is the purpose of these bending aero surfaces and this side brace, it sounds awfully complicated?

Controlled bending aero surfaces allows F1 to not be dinosaurs in terms of aero sophistication. It makes zero sense to drag a car with max down force along the straights. Bending aero surfaces allows to massively reduce drag, while maintaining higher down force in the corners. Also it reduces aero parts needed for different tracks. The bending is regulated so both front and rear down force develops in a linear fashion to avoid dangerous handling characteristics when there would be a trigger point.

The side brace are both to increase performance in the corners as well aid the following car in a very natural manner (the down force lost by following is recovered in the very spot it is lost, the corner), without needing to rely on push to pass or DRS. This makes the fighting for position much more interesting and natural.