Mercedes fears manipulation of new rules by other teams

Mercedes is concerned that some teams may manipulate their results to try to take advantage of the new aerodynamic test regulations (ATR) that will be applied in 2021.

New rules

In an attempt to bring the entire Formula 1 field closer together, a new arrangement will be put in place as of next season. With the new arrangement it means that the teams that finish at the top will be able to perform fewer wind tunnel tests and the team that finishes at the bottom will be able to do more.

The larger teams are not yet very satisfied with this and are afraid that the results can be manipulated. "There are things behind it that are a little awkward", says James Allison, technical director of Mercedes, in the F1 Nation podcast.

Introduction next year

"This regulation is being introduced next year so it will start in 2021, but consider what that means", continues Allison. "In 2021, we’re all going to be running cars that are largely frozen, carried over cars from 2020. So our significant axis of work in 2021 is going to be on preparing this new-generation car for 2022."

Allison thinks that if the cars are disappointing in 2020, teams with those disappointing cars will quickly switch to the new car that needs to be prepared for 2022.

"So this entirely new blank sheet of paper car, which has got nothing to do whatsoever with the current generation of cars, you’re fortunate in that championship is to be some extent influenced by how strong you were in 2020, two seasons previously", concludes Allison.