The FIA World Motor Sport Council has permitted an replace to Components 1’s sporting rules to permit the testing of mule vehicles in preparation for 2026’s technical regulation modifications.
An addition to the rules permits for 10 days of mule automobile testing this yr for groups to attempt to simulate the brand new vehicles that can grace the grid after subsequent season.
However what’s a mule automobile and the way does this assist groups put together for the modifications?
What’s a mule automobile?
In F1, a mule automobile is the time period for a chassis that has been tailored to finish check working. The automobile is normally up to date with the intention to mimic upcoming regulation modifications and, due to this fact, can differ fairly drastically from the unique automobile specification.
Guidelines are relaxed for the mule vehicles, permitting groups to replace their equipment in quite a lot of methods with the intention to better replicate the calls for of any upcoming regulation tweaks.
Forward of the 2017 technical regulation modifications, groups extensively examined with mule vehicles, which had been in a position to run with numerous aerodynamic gadgets to generate better downforce, permitting knowledge to be gathered forward of time – which, whereas not 100% correct, was nonetheless sufficient to provide engineers a head begin on initiatives.
Mule vehicles had been additionally used forward of the present technology of automobile, although on this case with extra of a give attention to serving to Italian tyre producer Pirelli develop its new-for-2022 18-inch wheels.
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing testing the brand new 2017 Pirelli tyres
Photograph by: Pirelli
What has modified within the rules
The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has permitted modifications to this yr’s sporting rules that enable for 10 days of testing with mule vehicles, forward of the brand new machines getting into in 2026.
Article 10.10 concerning the ‘Testing of mule vehicles’ has been added with various stipulations, with the next highlights:
- b) Automobiles should embody and are restricted to the minimal modifications needed for the aim of testing improvement tyres or for testing elements or programs on behalf of the FIA for future championship seasons, as decided by the FIA.
- c) Throughout any TMC, vehicles should be fitted with the FIA ECU required by Article 8.3 of the technical rules.
- okay) A most of ten (10) automobile days of testing is permitted between 1 January and 31 December organised by the FIA in session with all rivals, and if required by the testing goals the appointed tyre provider, and for the only objective of TMC.
- i) Drivers taking part in these checks should be eligible for a full superlicence, and will need to have both competed in no less than one (1) Components 1 competitors throughout their careers or have beforehand accomplished a minimal of 500km of working in a present F1 automobile persistently at racing speeds.
- ii) Any such testing scheduled at a circuit internet hosting a contest of the championship might solely be carried out previous to that competitors if the next situations are met: a) The automobile used is a suitably modified automobile designed and constructed with the intention to adjust to the technical rules of any of the 4 (4) calendar years falling instantly previous to the yr of the championship and aside from modifications permitted beneath b), i) and l) should solely use elements and software program of a specification which have been utilized in no less than one (1) race or TCC throughout any of the 4 (4) calendar years falling instantly previous to the yr of the championship.
- b) The motive force is eligible based mostly upon the necessities of Article 10.10 okay) i) however just isn’t entered within the present championship.
- c) The circuit hosted a contest of the championship within the yr falling instantly previous to the yr of the championship.
The brand new rules additionally dictate that no check gadgets can be utilized throughout the working, that means groups will not have the ability to discover any benefit in present-day competitors.
Pirelli tyre on the automobile of Fernando Alonso, Alpine/Renault RS18 Mule
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Earlier than Wednesday [31 July], there was no provision for the testing of mule vehicles within the 2024 sporting rules.
What challenges do F1 groups face?
Whereas earlier mule vehicles have been added to with the intention to enhance dimensions and weight for impending rules, groups now face the problem of making ready for vehicles which can be gotten smaller and weight.
Not solely that, however whereas aerodynamic options had been in a position to be added up to now to extend downforce technology, the new-for-2026 rules characteristic advanced energetic aero, which might be near-impossible to recreate with mule vehicles.
Then there may be the problem of a heavily-revised energy unit regulation set, which groups additionally weren’t confronted with in 2017, after they had been in a position to run the identical energy models within the check equipment. So the dilemma is, even with mule vehicles to assist put together for 2026, how precisely will engineers replicate the brand new rules?
With any automobile from the 4 seasons previous to the present time period accessible for modification, groups might be given a alternative.
They may choose a chassis from the outdated technology of automobile pre-2022, which is smaller and due to this fact nearer to the scale specified within the 2026 rules. Whereas it is a clear benefit, a number of the downforce technology on the 2020-21 vehicles was from top-face elements, slightly than the ground-effect philosophy of the brand new technology vehicles.
Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari SF90 Mule
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
So how consultant would any knowledge collected with a 2020-21 automobile be? That is dependent upon how every workforce modifies its vehicles throughout the rules now set out by the FIA.
Whereas the new-gen vehicles have the benefit of working the ground-effect aerodynamic philosophy, the better automobile dimensions pose a critical concern in relation to making worthwhile modifications. Once more, the quantity of usable knowledge in a position to be harvested is tough to gauge.
The effectiveness of the modified mule vehicles may present a primary on-track probability of securing a aggressive benefit when F1’s subsequent period dawns in 2026.
