Mercedes technical boss, James Allison believes F1 got it wrong with the 2022 rules overhaul in terms of addressing the problem of dirty air.

Confident that reducing the wake created by a leading car would allow cars to run closer together and thereby increase the probability of overtaking, the sport reintroduced ground effect in the belief that this would improve the racing.

It didn't, insists Allison, who also pays tribute to Adrian Newey for being ahead of the game.

"I don't necessarily think that the rules have failed in those terms," he said of Red Bull's subsequent domination of the sport following the overhaul, "because our job is to try and make sure that we can make a good fight of it.

"Red Bull are doing a good job and the rest of us have a duty to do a better job," he added. "I don't think that's the fault of the regulator.

"But there are things in the regulations that don't serve any of us well," he admitted. "I don't think it's sensible to have cars that hug the ground in the way that these cars hug it.

The Briton also argues against the idea "that you get good racing by controlling wakes, while ignoring tyres".

"The whole idea of controlling wakes, being something of a tilting-at-windmills type of challenge, that side of things has been tested to destruction fairly evidently," he said.

"I don't think there's anything wrong in particular with ground-effects floors," he continued. "But the FIA is still very much of a mind to place wake management at the top of the tree of everything, sacrificing this stuff. It would be helpful if there was more of a balanced approach.

The particular layout of these ones, that have a response to rear ride height that is not particularly good for the cars, isn't something that we should carry into 2026," he warned, referring to the next big rules overhaul.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Chester, 19/03/2024 17:13

"I would love to have samples of this kind of conversation from each decade from the 1970's to current. My bet is that they are quite similar, and mostly from those whose "Ox is being gored".

I watched the 12 hours of Sebring over the weekend and it was quite exciting. The end was great fun. I have also learned to watch the race for 2nd and 3rd over the last 15 years. It is what it is. I guess the FIA are just fools- and we know better.. "

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2. Posted by Spindoctor, 19/03/2024 14:44

"@Chester I doubt Newey is "bemoaning", the regulations, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are either the "best" we could have, nor achieve the FIA's goals of improved racing by reducing aerodynamic "wake", allowing closer following and\or making overtaking easier.

Newey is unquestionably the best aerodynamicist\designer currently working in F! & has been in charge of design for the best cars for several generations, his cars only failing to win regularly when seriously underpowered. It is highly likely that he would make the best cars under any revised regulations which might result from a greater focus on grip than aero."

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3. Posted by Chester, 19/03/2024 13:46

"I don't see Adrian Newey bemoaning the regulations. He just seems to accept them, at least publicly.

What has changed really in many decades? The best engineering solution wins. Accept it and move on."

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4. Posted by kenji, 19/03/2024 12:13

"@Max Noble....Thanks for that. It's more or less what I thought you meant but was not too sure of the wording. Regarding the MB problems wouldn't the re introduction of 'skirts' solve a lot of problems re downforce / ride height? "

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5. Posted by ausieausieausie, 19/03/2024 2:55

"A very simple solution, limit the surface area of the cars!!!! oh, and reduce the tyre size, make the drivers a bit more responsible."

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6. Posted by Max Noble, 19/03/2024 2:26

"@Kenji - no worries. My point is that if you take mechanical grip as your “core” grip, and the aero as “potential bonus grip”, then if you increase the mechanical grip, you can significantly reduce aero grip…and still have the same grip overall. I.e. the cars will be more or less as fast, but generate grip by a different ratio of mechanical to aero.

…then… following another car physics still dictates that you’ll be in dirty air and your aero grip will reduce… but it will be a smaller portion of your overall grip as you cannot have your mechanical grip taken from you…

I’d go for active suspension, and a new tyre war, plus a significant reduction in aero… :-)
"

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7. Posted by Great_white_shark, 18/03/2024 21:19

"Very pleased to find at least Max and Spindoctor understand the article properly. "

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8. Posted by Burton, 18/03/2024 18:36

"I thought the problem was that they introduced the GE alongside mandating somewhat unsophisticated suspensions? The tyres still being so sensitive certainly doesn't help..."

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9. Posted by Spindoctor, 18/03/2024 16:40

"Agree with @Max Noble that FIA's obsession with wake-reduction & aero in general is just another blind alley.
Even if we accept their fundamental premise that GE would reduce the "dirty air" which bedevilled the last generation, aerodynamicists will always find ways to extract more energy & downforce from that air passing over and under the cars.
We are already seeing that following closely is getting harder. It's particularly noticeable that when a car gets out front it gains a lot of lap time & reduced tyre degradation, just as previously.... "

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10. Posted by Tardis40, 18/03/2024 16:17

"The rules are the same for everyone."

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11. Posted by kenji, 18/03/2024 12:44

"@ Max...I am having trouble with your last sentence. Could you possibly elaborate.....Should it read, ' can negate [the need for ] a significant etc'"

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12. Posted by Max Noble, 18/03/2024 12:38

"James is a remarkably intelligent, hard working engineer. His view that a more rounded approach should be taken is a worthy observation. I also happen to agree that the FIA have stuffed-up the reasoning around tyres. Sheer mechanical grip can negate a significant portion of an aero advantage…"

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13. Posted by Endre, 18/03/2024 12:30

"Interesting how he comments on ride height and rear ride height when these are Merc's major issues. This is just political lobbying to try make those regulations go away they can not interpret correctly. "

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14. Posted by kenji, 18/03/2024 10:54

"I very seriously doubt that Allison would be voicing these comments if the roles were reversed and it was Mercedes winning everything. The current rules are the same for every team."

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15. Posted by Motorsport-fan, 18/03/2024 9:21

"I would ban any aero device that creates downforce from the back of the front wing to the front of the rear wing, we just need to simplify things, but with all the investment in wind tunnels its never going to happen."

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F1 got it wrong, says Allison

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