Does Aston have a case in F1 2021’s big technical row?
Aston Martin claims Formula 1’s latest technical tweaks have cost it competitiveness – and that it’s the innocent victim of a regulatory stitch-up aimed at pegging back Mercedes. But is any of this actually true? It depends on who you ask, says STUART CODLING
Who would have thought a simple trim would cause so much outrage? At the stroke of a pen, it seems, the established order of Formula 1 has been – if not quite turned on its head – given a vigorous shake.
It’s always hard to predict the outcome of regulatory changes beyond broad principles. The stated aim of the tweaks – a diagonal cut in the floor area and limits on other aerodynamic devices at the rear of the cars – was for safety, to reduce downforce loadings and not put further stress on a generation of Pirelli tyres already struggling to cope. But uncertainty lingered over what the specific effects might be when theory was translated into practice, especially since two teams employ a very different car philosophy to everybody else.
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