adminAUSTRALIA – As the eyes of the world turn to Australia next weekend for the start of the 2014 FIA World Championship there is one vital ingredient that was missing from the final races of 2013: uncertainty.
Everything has gone back into the melting pot after the biggest set of rule changes in the sport’s history, and after 12 days of winter testing – four in Spain and eight in Bahrain -the reality is that nobody really knows what to expect when the lights go out in Albert Park on Sunday, March 16.
On paper, Mercedes and Williams dominated the testing, chased by Ferrari and Force India, while four-time champions Red Bull endured a disastrous campaign which leaves them wondering if they can even finish the first race, let alone dominate it the way that Sebastian Vettel did so often in the final season of the 2.4-litre normally aspirated V8 formula.
Formula One racing has had big rule changes in the past, of course, such as the doubling of engine capacity from 1,5 litres to 3 litres back in 1966. But there have never been so many significant changes in one go. And it’s not just aerodynamics and engine capacity. The entire powertrain is new as the sport pushes the boundaries of hybrid technology, a move that is certain to benefit road car design and means that 2014’s F1 machines will run races on 35 percent less fuel than last season.
The change in engine design philosophy is the most profound aspect of the new formula, and will help to make the powertrain a performance differentiator just as the aerodynamics are. Teams must master the nuances of the supremely complex technology, not least how to manage the balance between mechanical power and the electrical system with its Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) and the associated batteries, which will affect both horsepower and fuel economy and thus significantly affect the face of race strategy.
The new breed of cars is trickier to drive, with the reduced downforce and much greater torque generating oversteer. And though engine maps will be decided before a race, fuel conservation via careful use of the throttle will still be a key in race strategy.
The drivers will also, of course, still have to manage their tyres, particularly the rears with the extra torque. Pirelli say their 2014 rubber is more durable and creates fewer ‘marbles’, and the plan is to use compounds only one step apart at each race rather than two as last year. For Australia, they will supply their medium and soft compounds, and believe they will generate two or even three pit stops.
After initial fears that the new cars might be slow, the speeds achieved in Bahrain compared well with last year’s at the Sakhir circuit. Felipe Massa ended testing with the fastest time overall of 1m 33.258s, whereas Nico Rosberg’s pole time for the 2013 race was 1m 32.330s.
All of the new rules are complemented by changes on the driver front. At McLaren the super-exciting Kevin Magnussen heads the rookies, while Daniil Kvyat steps in at Toro Rosso and Marcus Ericsson at Caterham, where Kamui Kobayashi makes a welcome return. Kimi Raikkonen switches back to Ferrari, Felipe Massa to Williams, Daniel Ricciardo to Red Bull, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez to Force India, Adrian Sutil to Sauber and Pastor Maldonado to Lotus.
F1 racing is set to return to Austria and to venture to Russia for the first time, allied to the prospect of some significant unreliability, makes the first race of the new era the most open in recent history. — Formula 1
derick.khumalo