The FIA confirmed changes to the regulations for the 2019 Formula 1 season in order to boost overtaking but Toro Rosso’s Franz Tost and few of his colleagues don’t think it will help much.
The three key changes to be brought about for the 2019 season is to the front wing, the rear wing and the brake ducts which the FIA revealed last week is being done to create a ‘mushroom effect’ which will throw the dirty air upwards in the air rather than backwards.
The governing body said they were confident of better racing after simulations done by various teams, however, Toro Rosso’s Tost had a different view during the Mexico GP weekened as he revealed that the wind tunnel isn’t showing the effect which they wanted.
“I discussed it with the people in the wind tunnel and as it looks currently they do not believe that overtaking will become much easier, which means there is less dirty air behind the car,” said Tost.
“Therefore I’m not sure that this regulation change will end up where we expect – that overtaking will become much easier. I think that at the beginning of next season the teams will have reached a similar level on downforce as nowadays.”
His colleagues agreed to a certain extent and stated that the aero regulations is not a step forward but a step backwards – although the clear picture will only be revealed when the cars take the track in the pre-season testing.
“It’s difficult to have a clear picture today but for sure I think we will improve on the engine,” said Sauber’s Frederic Vassuer. “We have still some doubt about the tyres and on the aero package.
“If you are speaking about the aero regulations, it’s a huge step back. I think everyone is focused to recover. I don’t know when we will recover and if we will be able to overshoot but it looks tricky.”
Having tried the new front wing, Racing Point Force India’s Otmar Szafnauer added: “We did [test the new wing] and it was a significant step backwards. We’ve got aggressive targets, I don’t know if we will be able to hit them.
“We’re trying to predict the future as to what we can find, but yeah, it was a massive step back for us.” It remains to be seen how the changes will effect in racing with the FIA cautioning as well that it will be clear only when they start racing.