The conjunction between revolutionary new technical regulations and the introduction since last year of a budget ceiling which limits expenditure encourages teams to seek the most effective and profitable areas of development in terms of potential gains. In general, in recent years, the front wing was among the most popular alongside the flat bottom.
But now, according to the technical director ofAlpine, Pat Fry, the work on the floor is much more interesting in terms of return on investment. Also, regarding the potential cost of a new front wing, he explains: “With a floor you find ten times more [de performance] currently. Of course, we are also limited by resources. So it’s easier for us to put [une même somme] on an evolution of the floor than on an evolution of the front wing which is relatively reduced.”
Especially in a period of immaturity of the technical regulations, where the teams still have a lot to gain just by getting to know the F1 version 2022 better: “It’s the same for everyone I think. There’s a floor and I imagine there’s the upper body shape as well to inject energy into the floor, that they’re working in symbiosis.”
“The front wings are a bit less cost effective than they used to be, there was a huge amount of performance in the wings. We have front wing changes coming up, but a front wing is quite an expensive part to make, so it has to earn its place. The front wing is similar in cost to a floorboard. And right now I’m finding ten times more performance in the floorboard. So I’m going to keep making that.”
Even if the budget issue has never been absent from the equation, it takes on particular importance in the era of capped spending. “It’s a balance. Years ago we had a cost performance graph, even when I was at Ferrari, but that was to stop us from doing the craziest and most expensive things! This It’s not that we were financially limited, but you had to control the resources, and you had to make things.”
“So it’s a balance: in addition to the cost, it’s about what we can physically produce. And I guess we could always produce more things, but it comes at an even higher cost. So it’s a matter of balance. And I think every team has a ‘performance cost’, as I call it. So you have an idea of how much an item costs and how many hardpoints you need to find to make it profitable.”
Having made the choice to bring regular evolutions rather than more substantial packages from time to time, Alpine has several new products in Barcelona, pending further improvements at the floor level. “In practice, there are some details on the design of the front wing end plate, some small things on the floor, and mainly the rear wing and the rear brake scoops are the new parts we have. brought here.”
“The rear wing is for the level of downforce you need here and obviously in Monaco. The rear brake ducts are just a development we have been working on.”