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F1 2023 Season Technical Posts

Revving up: Dynamics of F1 Broadcasting in India

Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport, has captivated fans around the world with its adrenaline-fueled races and cutting-edge technology. While the high-speed action unfolds on the track, another race takes place behind the scenes – the competition for broadcasting rights. To understand why Indian viewers have F1TV as their only option to watch F1, let’s dive into the intricacies of this captivating industry.

India, a country with a population of over 1.3 billion people, boasts a significant motorsport fan base. The Buddh Circuit in Uttar Pradesh playing host to races between 2011 and 2013, showcased motorsport to the audience, Formula 1 has witnessed growing popularity in recent years, through the F1: Drive to Survive Netflix series. Now fans eagerly follow their favorite teams and drivers through social channels. The Indian market presents immense potential for broadcasters and rights holders, making it a sought-after destination for Formula 1 broadcasting rights. 

While the Indian market holds immense promise, there are challenges that broadcasters face when acquiring Formula 1 broadcasting rights. One of the primary challenges is the time zone difference, as races often take place in different parts of the world, making it crucial for broadcasters to strategize airing schedules effectively to maximize viewership and ensure no overlaps occur with major events like cricket.

The Hyderabad E-Prix, Formula E 2023 Season

On the other hand, the digital revolution has opened up new pathways. Over-the-top (OTT) platforms and streaming services have gained popularity, allowing fans to access live races on their preferred devices through the Disney+Hotstar platform. This shift in consumer behavior presents broadcasters with the opportunity to cater to a diverse audience and enhance the fan experience. This shift has been attributed to being described as a “very strong mobile market” according to F1’s Director of Media Rights.

Prominent players in the broadcasting rights circle for the Indian subcontinent includes Star Sports, which secured the rights for Formula 1 broadcasting in the country until 2021. The partnership between Star Sports and Formula 1 has brought the exhilarating races and engaging coverage to Indian viewers, creating a thrilling viewing experience. The combination of telecasting on a multisport channel along with OTT live stream on the Disney+Hotstar platform gave audiences multiple ways to watchalong. 

Formula E on Disney+Hotstar

However the negotiations for the post-2021 broadcasting rights did not go the usual way. F1 felt that Star Network “they didn’t value our rights in the way that we did” and the other players did not offer competitive offers for the top motorsport rights. This resulted in the introduction of F1TV for the Indian subcontinent, which was previously restricted for use. F1TV being the in-house OTT platform of F1 enables distribution of content in a very optimized way. 

Broadcasting rights provide a significant revenue stream for both Formula 1 and broadcasters. Alongside traditional advertising, innovative sponsorship models and partnerships have emerged. Additionally, OTT platforms offer subscription-based models, giving fans access to exclusive content for a premium, further enhancing monetization opportunities. Now with F1TV being the sole platform to follow the races, this becomes an inherent monopoly in the broadcasting area for the region. Also to be remembered is India is a very price-sensitive market, when you reflect on the change that has to be made to continue following motorsport it is apparent which audience would be more likely to continue to do so. Instead of paying for a multisport TV channel, now a dedicated subscription has to be purchased for just this one sport. The pricing difference also is significant, it is about 3 times more expensive now to watch the races live.

Formula 1 broadcasting rights in the Indian market represent a thrilling landscape of opportunities and challenges. With a passionate fan base and evolving viewer preferences, broadcasters play a crucial role in bringing the high-octane world of Formula 1 to Indian screens. As the sport continues to captivate audiences and follow their home drivers, the future holds immense potential for broadcasters to leverage this enthusiasm and take the viewing experience to new heights in the Indian market. We look forward to how this scene and the broadcasting of F1 in general evolves overtime.

‘Revving Up’ Series: An explainer on the current affairs from the world of motorsport

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F1 2022 Season Technical Posts

F1 Tyres: Rules surrounding their usage on the race weekend

We have all seen the new 2022 tyres on track now. Having been run at 3 race weekends, these low-profile 18-inch tyres are delivering a lot of the changes the FIA and F1 hoped for. But not only have the tyres changed, the rules for running them have also changed although with less change than the tyres themselves. Let’s have a look at the rules from the start!

The tyre allocation ie. which 3 compounds will be available for the race weekend are notified to the teams at least 2 weeks in advance. This gives the teams time to run simulations and look at data from the previous races at the track and of the season, to come up with a run plan to approach the race weekend.

We’ve seen a non-serial for the first time during the Australian GP 2022 with the C2, C3 and C5 tyres. There is no rule against this as the allotment is decided by Pirelli (tyre supplier) and F1 themselves.

For normal race weekends(non sprint), the following dry-weather tyre sets are allocated

  • 2 Hard Compound 
  • 3 Medium Compound
  • 8 Soft Compound

For sprint race weekends, 

  • 2 Hard Compound 
  • 4 Mediums Compound
  • 6 Soft Compound

If a team wants to replace an unused tyre due to any reason(punctures etc.) they can do so with another unused tyre of the same compound specification.

Each tyre is uniquely identified along their sidewalls. That’s where you see the track officials scanning the tyres after a session with their devices. All the tyres are to be used with proper recording of the usage, which shall be validated for the quali lap or sprint or the race as a whole.

For each session declared wet, a fresh set of intermediate tyres will be provided for the driver.

If the race/sprint race starts behind the safety car due to adverse weather, wet tyres will be compulsory to run from the formation lap itself.

Source: f1.com

Unless track conditions are declared wet, each driver has to run at least two different tyre compounds. Not doing so will result in the disqualification of the driver, except when the race has ended under a suspension where 30 seconds will be added to the race time for the driver.

A hypothetical situation would be Alex Albon in the Williams in the recent Australian GP 2022. Where he almost completed the race on the same hard tyres he started with, until they did the last lap pitstop which made them satisfy this rule.

Source: autosport.com

Uptill now the top 10 positions would have to start the race on the same set of tyres you completed your fastest lap in Qualifying-2. Regular fans of the sport would remember this as the ‘Q2 Rule’. However from this season this rule has been scrapped, so teams can start the races on any tyre they wish to. This has resulted in very bold strategies played by some teams in the races till now, however the full story of this change will become more clear as the season progresses.

Source: f1.com: Predicted strategies for Jeddah GP

Wrong Tyres:

Wrong tyres i.e. tyres other than those allotted to the driver, cannot be used during any session in the race weekend. If by mistake they are fitted, they have to be changed back to the correct tyres within one lap with respect to the line of track. 

An example of this rule in action would be Sakhir 2020. Where a mixup during the double pitstops of the Mercedes team resulted in George Russel being fitted with tyres of his teammate Valterri Bottas. What followed was the infamous ‘George we have a mixed tyre set’ radio message from Peter Bonnington who was the Chief Engineer for Lewis Hamilton’s replacement that weekend. GR was called into the pits the next lap itself to correct this according to the rule.

Tyre blankets are now at a lower temperature. But the changes have not been disclosed to the public but the responses from the teams around this topic point to a significant shift in operations here. Also additional restrictions are there for how the teams can prepare the tyres before a session to get them ready.

After all the running of these tyres on the pinnacle of motorsport cars, methodic procedures are laid out for return of tyres after a session and the entire weekend. With extensive logging as previously mentioned to monitor that all teams comply with the rules laid out.

Source: Article 30, F1 Sporting Regulations (Issue5)

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F1 2022 Season Technical Posts

2022 F1 Cars: Floors

The new 2022 car originally slated to be introduced in 2021, comes into action this season after pushback due to the global pandemic. Intended to focus on solving the problems related to dirty air and following closely during racing, the new cars are radically different from a first glance.

The latest regulations also take a different approach to regulating the cars from the teams, with the FIA now incorporating use of CAD and virtual 3D surfaces to restrict the dimensions and specifications. Using Reference surfaces i.e. 2D surfaces to set a minimum allowance on the part size and Reference volumes i.e. 3D surfaces to set a maximum limit. This article will however try to avoid using highly technical terms for ease of understanding. If you are interested in exploring it in even more technical/depth, here are the relevant regulations. 

An aerodynamic shift: 

Source: https://www.formu1a.uno/ferrari-2022-il-progetto-674-e-molto-coraggioso/

Diffusers in the cars of the last generation(2017-21) worked by expanding airflow in a horizontal direction, however the diffuser exit is narrow as compared to the last generation at a width of 750mm (previously 1050mm). With the increased importance of suction effect from the venturi tunnels now in place (Aerodynamic components to create a pressure difference to force the car to the ground), the ‘sealing’ of the floor will remain essential to ensure that their function is maximized. 

Let’s start from the front of the car!

The bib

Also referred to as the tea tray, serves the purpose of ensuring that the incoming airflow is channeled correctly. Also has its place in front impact structures to a degree.

Source: http://www.formula1-dictionary.net/movable_floor.html

Tunnel inlets

Gone are the complex bargeboards and other aerodynamic furniture from last generation, they played a major role in the performance but were also big contributors to the problems of dirty air the new cars aim to resolve. 

Now there are vortex generators at the start of the underbody tunnels, with 4 elements being permitted on each side. Referred to as ‘Elements’ as multi-fence setups can be used however they need to adhere to the maximum number allowed on each side. These fences have to be more than 10mm away from each other at any point. The fences can be set at a maximum angle of 50° from the centerline of the car, restricting the amount of outwash/aerodynamic wake they can create. The end fence for these tunnel inlets will have to be upto only 40° from the car centerline, further reducing the outwash generated. The bargeboards used to create outwash almost perpendicular to the car.

Source: F1

Floor edges

While we saw the significant contribution of the floor structures to the performance of the car when they were removed in the 2021 season, they serve the previously mentioned function of ‘sealing’ the floor/underbody. In simple terms, they prevent air from entering the underbody and disturbing the flow being created there. Having turbulence in this region can lead to inconsistent performance from the diffuser

Source: Mercedes F1 Team

In the latest cars, this area(highlighted in orange below) will be allowed to have offsets i.e. aerodynamic structures to mimic their predecessors(slots and veins). With allowances from 5 to 20mm in dimensions. This edge has also be supported with upto 6 brackets which have more tightly written regulations regarding their shape and function.

Source: https://www.f1technical.net/news/23344

For further illustrations this thread on twitter is worth a go, 

Hope you got a better idea of how the floors of the new cars will look and work!

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Technical Posts

107%: The number for juniors to look to in F1

You might have caught a glimpse of the timing screens mentioning 107% time sometime. What is it exactly? Continue ahead to find out.

Timing screen in the Haas garage in 2017

Why?

To start off, this rule was brought in place to have slower such that they are dangerous out of the race.

Another reason has been to avoid having teams coming with underdeveloped cars just to have the opportunity to showcase the sponsors and hence have the drivers and cars on the grid which resemble the platform F1 aims to stand for.

|> The Arrows team, French GP 2002. The team were low on funds and participated in qualifying to avoid fines.

What is it?

In 2018, the rule was amended to not be considered during unsuitable conditions (rain) 

  • In the three-part qualifying session we have now, the 5 slowest cars in Q1 have to set a time under 107% of the fastest laptime in that session.
  • If a driver fails to set a suitable time, he/she would be allowed to race if he/she showed pace during any of the practice sessions.

Let’s take an example,

French GP 2021

Drivers eliminated in Q1: 

LAT = 1:33.062s 

RAI = 1:33.354s

MAZ = 1:33.554s 

STR = 2:12.584s 

TSU = No time (Crashed before setting a time)

Fastest time in Q1: 1:31.001

So the 107% time was: 1:37.371

For Lance Stroll, 

The times posted by him during the practice sessions allowed him to enter the race, starting from the back of the grid.

Source: racefans.net

For Yuki Tsunoda, 

Following his shunt, the team needed to change some gearbox components. Since he was going to start from the end of the grid due to his qualifying, taking the new parts put him for a Pit lane start.

How the rule book says it,

Sprint Qualifying Special

Source: https://www.fia.com/regulation/category/110 (Sporting Regulations)

Stats caused by this rule:

(Since its reintroduction in 2011)

  • Most number of drivers failing to set suitable time: Hungary 2016 (11 drivers)
  • Most number of infractions by a driver: Narain Karthikeyan (3 instances)
  • Drivers currently on the grid having been hit by this rule, (Number of instances)
  1. Daniel Ricciardo (2)
  2. Carlos Sainz Jr. (1)
  3. Max Verstappen (2)
  4. Sergio Perez (1)
  5. Valtteri Bottas (1)
  6. Lance Stroll (1)

Note: Why not Yuki? Yuki didn’t set a time in Q1 so he was not considered.

Other series do this too?

Yes, many series have similar rules. Even two-wheels have this, with MotoGP having a 107% time cutoff.

Formula E (110% rule), IndyCar (105% rule), NASCAR (115% rule)

The Monaco 2021 F2 weekend had a controversial infraction of this rule.

Alessio Deledda had a best time of 1:27.744s. The fastest lap during that session was Robert Schwartzman 1:21.403s. A difference of 6.341s that breached the 107% cutoff.

However the team were allowed to race citing mechanical issues, which wasn’t revealed when the decision of allowing Deledda was declared. The stewards taking time to confirm the team’s explanations.

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Technical Posts

The Physics Of Banking

Max at Zandvoort Demo Run

Banked corners or inclined corners in other words have been a part of motorsport tracks since the start of it. Whether it be The Monza Oval or the Ovals in America popularly used to host the Indy 500, they offer a unique experience to the drivers and the spectators watching them take their cars through incredible forces. Formula1 has raced at tracks which have banked corners in its early stages, most notably the AVUS in Berlin with a monstrous 43° incline and more recently at Zandvoort in 2021.

Why do we need these when normal flat turns can suffice a lap around a circuit?

Motorsport as a whole leads the way in developing cutting-edge technologies in the field of automobiles. To also consider is the unique challenge banked corners offer to the drivers and teams to optimise their vehicle to get through the corner in the fastest way possible. It also increases the maximum speed possible through the corner and is safer in wet conditions.

Effects on drivers and cars:

Let’s take the case of a car turning left with the track inclined such that the left edge of the track is relatively below the right edge of the track.

Source: (R) @Richard Fitzpatrick from https://bit.ly/3jTOZ3m

In a flat turn the centripetal force (acting horizontally with the ground), reaches upto 5Gs in F1 cars. However it doesn’t alter the frictional force directly or indirectly as no component of the centripetal force acts in the vertical direction of the axes of the car.
While negotiating a banked corner, the vertical component of centripetal force adds up alongside the weight of the car. This results in the apparent increase in weight for the cars and the drivers. The drivers experience more downward force pushing them into their seats, the cars are more stressed while experiencing these loads. The tyres are under immense tension during these turns. Many people remember the infamous 2005 US GP in the heat of the tyre war between Michelin and Bridgestone where only 6 cars started the race due to safety concerns. Pirelli conducted a multitude of simulations and tyre tests to avoid a repeat of the past and ensure a safer race.

Now someone might think these cars experience these loads so what makes these turns so stressful?

To answer that, the cars are designed to withstand sustained loads while going down a straight. What makes the banked turns less forgiving is the way the car load is balanced left-right through the corner. The left-side of the car here (on the inner side of the turn) is closer to the ground than the right-side. These imbalance forces are what makes the cars closer to their physical limits.

The last race weekend, The Dutch GP at Zandvoort offered a wonderful spectacle of tactics and race-craft. The variety of racing lines through the banked corners Turn 3 and Turn 13-14, especially Turn 3: ‘Hugenholtzbocht’ with a 18° bank angle exhibited the creativity of the drivers. The circuit had banking added to it on the suggestion of late Charlie Whiting, former Race Director.

Initially the Mercedes engines had issues with Hamilton and Vettel suffering from critical engine power unit stoppages. But it didn’t have anything to do with the circuit characteristics as the Lewis’s engine was at the end of its planned lifecycle and Sebastian’s suffered a MGU-K failure.

There was also concern during the weekend that oil systems may be affected from the loads of the track. But none of the teams reported a major issue.

Source: Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech )

Some Maths:

Maximum speed through flat turn

Maximum speed through banked turn(Dry conditions)

Maximum speed through banked turn(Wet conditions)

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