Formula 1: New Cars 2021 Alfa Romeo makes the start

January 24, 2021

0 2 minutes read

– 01/24/2021

Alfa Romeo is the beginning

Alfa Romeo was the first team to announce the presentation of the new Formula 1 car in 2021. That will change with the F1 racers in 2021.

D.he timetable for the new Formula 1 cars in 2021 is in place: the rules are clear, the presentation will take place in February, the winter tests will take place from March 12 to 14 in Bahrain, where the kick-off will take place on March 28.

Alfa Romeo has now been the first team to announce the date on which the new Alfa Romeo-Ferrari C41 is to be shown to the public: On February 22nd in Warsaw.

The location of the presentation is surprising, after all, Alfa Romeo is an Italian manufacturer and the team (Sauber) comes from Switzerland. But with this Alfa Romeo is following the wishes of the sponsor Orlen, a Polish mineral oil company. It is thanks to his commitment that Robert Kubica, who so far clinched the only Formula 1 victory in team history at the 2008 Canadian GP, remains on board as a test driver.

These are the technical changes to the Formula 1 cars in 2021

Because the funds are tight due to the corona pandemic, the Formula 1 legislators have agreed with the teams on an austerity course. In principle, the cars in 2021 should be the same as in 2020. But the changes are more dramatic than expected.

First of all: A Formula 1 car consists of three areas before the technical regulations – chassis, engine, aerodynamics. The aerodynamics remain free. The engine may be completely redeveloped for 2021. That will not change until 2022.

Formula 1 cars will only change a little in 2021.

It gets more complicated with the chassis. That is divided into 77 components. 40 of them are homologated, so they must not be changed for the coming season. The remaining parts are given a value of one or two development tokens, depending on their importance. A team may only make changes to the chassis with a maximum value of two tokens.

There are also several exceptions: Mercedes has to expand the DAS system with which the driver at the steering wheel can change the track of the tires from the cockpit. Teams like Aston Martin can also swap the 2019 parts they buy from Mercedes for 2020 parts.

The third change affects all teams: The cars should lose ten percent of downforce due to cuts in the rear area. So far, the underbody in front of the rear wheels can be stretched to a maximum width of 1.60 meters. In 2021 a triangle will be cut in front of the rear axle so that the technicians cannot let off steam with slots, holes and wings. In this area, the engineers recently saved a lot of time on the racetrack.

In addition: the sub-floor may be less flexible. With a load of 500 Nm, it can bend a maximum of eight instead of the previous ten millimeters.

The rule change was originally intended to prevent Pirelli from having to design new tires. But the Italians will deliver tires with a stiffer construction in 2021. This increases the weight per set of tires by 2.5 kilograms. Even now, the Formula 1 racers are heavier than ever at 746 kilograms. In 2021 they will gain three kilograms (749 kg). The power unit must then weigh at least 150 instead of the previous 145 kilograms. This is to prevent teams from building the drivetrain even more easily by using exotic and, above all, sinfully expensive materials.