This Friday, the amount of wind tunnel time each team has for the second half of the season will be set. This is crucial in the development race, as it will determine how much testing time they will have. It is measured by each teams position in the constructors championship.The higher the position, the more handicapped you will be.
Red Bull lead the way which means they have a 70 per cent limit – although this has been reduced further due to breaching the budget cap. Meanwhile, Alpha Tauri sit at the other end of the scale with 115% of their limit available to them.
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Why does this matter?
To put it simply, more aerodynamic testing testing should mean better upgrades. Upgrades in the sport do not always work, but more time gives you the opportunity to trial more parts.
It was brought in to close up the field and ensure that no team runs away with the championship. Clearly, Red Bull are doing this in 2023, so lets see how the second half of the season pans out.
The system was first used in 2021 and reset every six months, so the period between January to June is dictated by the previous season’s constructors standing.
These rules will stay in place until 2025 but that doesn’t make this testing block insignificant – quite the opposite in fact. Teams are focusing on their 2024 cars so these testing blocks will be used to look to the future. Especially if this seasons goals are already looking likely to be achieved.
There will be three testing windows between the start of July and December. Each testing period is two months.
Winners
Ferrari fans haven’t had much to shout about this season. Maybe thats all about to change. After dropping two places to fourth since last year, the team will have 10 per cent more testing time.
This means they’ll have four extra runs per week to improve the SF23. After a poor start to 2023, the team may opt to move onto 2024, using the extra time to launch a title push.
Planet F1
Meanwhile, Alpine, McLaren, Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri gain five per cent respectively. They’ve all moved up one place on their positions last year.
Haas will keep the same amount of time as they had in the first half of 2023.
Losers
Aston Martin are the big losers with this new system. A product of their rapid success in 2023 in all honesty.
The team will lose 20 per cent of their aerodynamic testing during the second half of the season. This is because they finished 7th in 2022, contrasting with their brilliant rise to third the year.
It could mean then team fall away or, even worse for them, fail to replicate this success in 2024.
It will be fascinating to see if the team and Alonso can continue to bring in podiums even with a handicapped aero department.
Aston Martin
The other losers are Red Bull, despite having the same amount of testing time as last year. The team have dominated the past two seasons in the standings.
However, their breach of the 2021 budget-cap leaves them with 63 percent – or 25 runs per week – until October,. when they’re 12 month penalty expires.
Whether this will impact the teams either positively or negatively remains to be seen. After all, it is something the teams can plan for in advance.
Mercedes and Williams have jumped up a place since last year which means they also lose out. Both teams lose 5 per cent of their allotted time.
Although it’s worth mentioning that still gives the Grove outfit 110 per cent of aero testing time. They’ve only jumped up to 9th after all, despite a promising start to the season for Alexander Albon.
However, if it does work as intended, we should have a closer field in the second half of the season. It could lead to some fascinating qualifying sessions in the final few races.
Looking beyond next year it should lead to a tighter opening race for the foreseeable future. Every teams resources will fall in line with their past success.
Its just about whether they use that time wisely.
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