Car balance issues in F1? What's the cause?

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Formula 1 teams are currently grappling with escalating challenges related to car balance, a critical aspect influenced by the cutting-edge ground effect cars that are pushing the limits of engineering and performance in the sport.

As the season unfolds, one common theme emerges among the various Formula 1 teams - the struggle to maintain optimal car balance.

Notable incidents, such as Max Verstappen's candid critique of his RB20 transforming into a 'monster', Ferrari's battle with high-speed bouncing, Mercedes' unease during qualifying sessions, and Aston Martin's temporary setback, underscore the shared dilemma faced by teams in achieving the desired balance.

Each team has encountered a similar predicament where a well-intentioned car upgrade, intended to enhance downforce, inadvertently disrupts the delicate equilibrium of the car's handling, resulting in a less than ideal driving experience.

This prevalent issue is not merely coincidental; rather, it sheds light on the intricate technical challenges posed by the current generation of ground effect cars, which have unlocked additional performance gains but also unveiled underlying complexities.

Central to these challenges lies the influence of two pivotal performance factors on car handling: the fluctuating levels of downforce generated at varying speeds due to the car's proximity to the track surface, and the dynamic changes in tire temperatures throughout the course of a lap.

These dynamic variables are compelling teams to navigate a delicate balance, seeking a compromise that mitigates the associated drawbacks rather than achieving a perfect, one-size-fits-all solution.

For some time now, it has been common knowledge that Mercedes technical director James Allison discussed the challenges teams faced in generating downforce with the current cars, particularly when it was crucial.

“There's a sort of fundamental difficulty in these rules which is that the car will generate more and more downforce the lower it goes,” He mentioned.

“That’s not without limit, because you don't want it to just magnet itself onto the ground at the end of the straight, because at the end of the straight you generally are not going around the corner.

“If that's where your best downforce is, it's just generating drag for you. So in order to cope with the load that that creates at the end of the straight, you're going to have to have stiff springs or higher ride heights.

“If you've got higher ride heights, then that means that you're not going to be where the downforce is. So that means stiff springs. And so with these cars, there is this sort of treasure of downforce to be had near the ground, and you can find lots of it there. But you also have to survive the end of the straight.

“So there is a sort of a little bit of a limit that this end of straight downforce consumes ride height that then punishes you in the low speed. And there comes a point where you can't support the end of straight loads without hurting yourself in the slow speed so much that it's no longer faster to have that end of straight downforce.

“Everyone is trying to get things so that at the end of the straight you don't have quite as much load, but right next door to it you have loads, because the fast corners are right next door to the end of the straight.

“Then you also want to hang on to an adequate amount for the slow speed stuff, despite the fact that the car just wants to lose all its downforce as it raises off the ground.

“That's the challenge. I'm not saying anything that every person this pit lane isn't wrestling.”

This year, teams appear to be facing greater challenges with these trade-offs. Luca Furbatto, the engineering director at Aston Martin, indicates that the current issues affecting the cars are straightforward to explain, yet extremely difficult to address.

Discussing the concerns regarding balance that have garnered attention in F1, Furbatto commented: "It is an issue we are dealing with, but based on the team communications, it seems to be a widespread issue."

“There is the difficulty of these cars in turning in the corner entry phase. Let's say that the aerodynamic platform helps to find the load on the rear, to the detriment of the front, during the various phases of the turn.

“Therefore, you can go from a neutral car on entry that becomes understeering before the apex and then becomes very oversteering on exit. This transition, which in the past was never so extreme, is becoming increasingly clear because these cars are reaching very high load [downforce] values."

According to Furbatto, teams have increased their downforce by approximately 45% since the introduction of ground effect cars in early 2022.

As a result, teams are now faced with the challenge of pushing for more performance without risking instability and encountering a range of porpoising issues.

“If you reduce the bouncing a bit because you get the airflow under the car right, then it becomes natural to try to bring an update that increases the load a bit, and the porpoising returns," He made a statement.

“The more you push this regulation, the more there is the risk of seeing bouncing. It will be a phenomenon that we will have to deal with until the end of 2025, and I think it is one of the reasons why we will take another path in 2026.

“After all, the drivers, even if they do not say it publicly, complain about the porpoising and several complain of back pain. I think this is an element of the regulation that needs to be addressed”.

Achieving a flawless lap involves more than just resolving the downforce problem; it is equally crucial to monitor the behavior of the tires. Put simply, if one axle becomes hotter than the other, this can lead to issues such as excessive understeer or oversteer.

Furbatto included: “ In addition to having a change in the behaviour of the car when the aerodynamic forces that make the bottom of the car rise and fall, it also matters how the grip of the tyres varies.

“It is no coincidence that in Monza we saw the preparation of the out-lap very different during qualifying.

“You try to bring the tyres to certain temperatures in an attempt to mask those balance problems that in qualifying can be more serious than what you see in the race."

The challenge in addressing the common car balance issue lies in the significant changes in the areas that affect car performance, with the floor emerging as the crucial element.

While teams previously relied more on front wing designs to achieve balance, it is now no longer as effective.

Furbatto included: “With the previous regulation the load was divided approximately one third to the front wing, one third to the floor and, finally, one third to the rear wing.

“So the wings had more relevance in modifying the balance, compared to today's cars that generate up to 70% of the downforce with the floor.

“The ability to intervene with the front wing to find a balance has effectively halved.”

The increased use of flexible wings is a direct result of the car balance issues teams are facing. By exploiting aero elasticity, teams have found a solution to address both low-speed understeer and high-speed oversteer. Adjusting the wing's characteristics provides better performance at slow speeds and reduces the risk of overloading the front end in high-speed corners. If teams were unable to utilize flexible front wings, they would struggle even more with car balance problems.

The FIA has been monitoring front wing behavior since the Belgian Grand Prix, considering potential regulation changes for 2025. Furbatto believes the situation will likely remain unchanged, as tightening regulations in this area could create more challenges for teams.

“I don’t think there is an intention to change the 2025 regulation, because the fact that the wing bends within the rules is part of that attempt to find a balance of the cars,” He made a statement.

“I would say that it is a necessary evil of these ground effect single-seaters. Otherwise, with more rigid wings, we would find ourselves with drivers incapable of finding a useful set-up to make the car controllable”.

Looking back on the events of this year, it becomes evident that the Formula 1 landscape has been greatly influenced by the current set of regulations in place. These regulations have introduced a myriad of intricate compromises that have posed significant challenges to teams, drivers, and the sport as a whole. The complexities arising from these regulations have necessitated a delicate balance that has proven to be quite the headache for all involved.

As we navigate through this period of intricate compromises and balance challenges, it becomes increasingly clear that the current regulations are shaping the competitive dynamics of Formula 1 in profound ways. The constant need to strike a balance between various technical and sporting elements has kept teams on their toes, pushing them to innovate and adapt in order to stay competitive.

With the next rules era set to begin in 2026, there is a sense of anticipation and speculation surrounding the potential changes that will come into effect. The transition to a new set of regulations offers the opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to address the complexities and compromises that have characterized the current era.