Designers of 2019 F1 cars will 'forget overtaking', warns Steiner
Formula 1 teams' designers will "forget about overtaking" when they get to work on the changes being enforced for 2019, Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has warned
Last-minute changes were pushed through at the end of April to alter the design of the cars for next year, following research carried out by F1 itself with the help of the teams.
The changes, which include alterations to the way the front wings manage airflow around the tyres, are aimed at making it easier for drivers to follow another car closely.
But Steiner believes it's too early in the process to be certain the changes will have the desired effect.
"These aero people, they do a study in a week, and they say 'this is what it is', then they do a study of two months, and [the results are] completely different because they use every little bit of how the regulation is written to get as much performance," he said.
"That is the phase that everybody is in now, to get the most out of that regulation that was introduced after a three-week study.
"The three-week study was out of a good purpose, to make overtaking easier, but now the aero guys are on it too - forget about overtaking, get performance.
"They are working to find out how much [difference] it is actually doing - I don't think anybody has the answer yet."
"We are still looking to find out how much it affects what we are doing," he said.
"They need to do some CFD runs to see what the new front wing does, then they decide, in the next two to three weeks, if we focus a little bit more on 2019 than with the old regs.
"I think we will for obvious reasons - we don't want to be behind. "There is a point we will need to switch to 2019, and with the limited windtunnel development and CFD time everybody is in the same situation."
Haas driver Romain Grosjean said part of the team's thinking behind producing such a big in-season upgrade package was because it was expected there would be rules stability for next year, meaning any gains found this year would benefit the 2019 car.
"In theory the rules were not changing for next year, so we were putting a lot of effort into thinking that next year was going to be the same," said Grosjean.
"Since they announced the new front wing I guess everyone will need to switch quite early onto 2019 because the car is going to be very different.
"With the big update we have, if the car keeps going well and faster than the others, we are in a good position to have a lot of races with decent points."
Belgian GP secures three-year F1 contract extension at Spa
FIA working to stop VSC system cheating after Vettel complaint
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow