F1 technical chief still sees promising future for current cars in the category

March 28, 2024 2:33 pm

Pat Symonds, technical director of Formula 1, believes that the current era of ground-effect cars still holds a lot of innovation. The statement comes after conversations with Adrian Newey, chief designer at Red Bull.

Red Bull has dominated the category since the return of ground effect in 2022, claiming 40 victories in 47 races and two consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles. The expectation is that the dominance will continue in 2024.

These ground effect rules were created to facilitate overtaking and reduce the ‘turbulence’ (dirty air) caused by cars. However, some feared that the rigidity of the rules would limit technical innovations.

Symonds, an experienced engineer in the category, has always trusted in the creative potential of the teams. “I knew that wasn’t the case,” he said on the ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, recalling the presentation of the models in 2020. “We showed different interpretations of the cars, as many felt the rules didn’t allow development.”

Despite recognizing that the basic concept tends to converge, Symonds sees room for advancement. “Fortunately, we never arrived at a single solution. We’re seeing this in areas like the air intakes on the sides. Red Bull, for example, innovated with entrances above the head protection. These are solutions that I did not foresee, but I am happy to see that the evolution continues. I spoke to Adrian Newey, and he guarantees that there is much more to come”, concluded Symonds.

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