The token system in F1, the new framework for development racing

Focus on development tokens, which limit the race for innovation in F1 for the 2021 season.

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F1 lives with the times. The Covid-19 pandemic requires it, the era is one of cost reduction. The grandiose ambitions are over! Before the new 2022 regulations, those of 2021 are limited: teams keep almost all of their 2020 chassis, with a few exceptions. This is where the token system comes in.

2 tokens only per team!

Already seen in 2015 and 2016 at the beginning of the hybrid era, the token system governed the development of the engine. Today, it limits aerodynamics: the FIA has decided to “freeze” the evolution of numerous components. A freeze in three phases, during the first race of 2020 in Austria, in the middle of the 2020 season, and during the first race of 2021, this Sunday, March 28 in Bahrain.

Article 22-6 paragraph 10 lists the parts that have been blocked since the opening round of 2021. These include the transmission, rear suspensions, parts of the front suspension or front wing, part of the cooling system, the steering wheel, and the gearbox ratios.

Parts that are frozen, but can still be modified in exchange for two development tokens, or one token depending on the importance of the piece. If the piece is worth one token, the part can be developed a second time in the season.

And there are only 2 tokens per team! For this new season, each team has therefore targeted its progression.

So, who used what?

Poker face possible! Each team has the freedom to announce or keep their information secret. It is therefore a race for information based on announcements and interviews with different team leaders.

Good surprise of the 2020 season, McLaren has bet all its chips on the integration of the Mercedes engine. These changes have, for example, been made in the modification of the sidepods, as explained in this article.

McLaren

On its side, Ferrari has already publicly stated that its tokens were spent on modifying the rear train and rear suspension.

Same for Alpine, through the voice of its executive director of the chassis department, Marcin Budkowski, who specified it during the team’s presentation.

McLaren

Aston Martin, the exception to the rule

What would F1 be without regulations being bypassed? In 2021, F1 is made up of a few teams that buy and take parts from others. Like Aston Martin (formerly Racing Point), which uses parts from the 2020 Mercedes. The same goes for AlphaTauri with Red Bull. What does the regulation say in this case? No token to spend if the part comes from the previous year: bingo, it’s a free innovation!

Aston Martin thus used the rear suspension and transmission from the Mercedes W11, without spending tokens, to focus on the survival cell, which surrounds the driver’s seat.

McLaren

In the matter, Haas and Alfa Romeo are being taken for a ride, using current year Ferrari parts… no free gain for the two teams! The team led by Fred Vasseur has turned to the front wing, innovating with its two tokens.

Example and counterexample, the little sister AlphaTauri intentionally chose not to adopt the Red Bull gearbox and rear suspension. The option was available, but Franz Tost’s team retained the parts from the 2019 Red Bull… used on the 2020 AlphaTauri, and therefore in 2021! AlphaTauri placed their bets on the front wing and the front suspension arms, with subtle changes barely noticeable to the naked eye, detailed in this article.

McLaren

And the strategies vary depending on the teams and financial resources. On the brink of collapse before the investment by Nikita Mazepin’s father, Haas is skipping the 2021 tokens, according to a recent statement by its team principal Günther Steiner. A way to save even more and bet on 2022, the year of regulatory change.

Race for misinformation finally: we don’t yet know exactly where Mercedes has spent its tokens. The same goes for Red Bull! Here too, the duel is in full swing between the two title contenders.

Whispers finally with Williams, who spent a development token this year… without saying where exactly. It’s up to you to find out!

There are still free zones.

Beyond this very complex token system, there are still aerodynamic parts that are free for development. An example is the airbox above the driver. Alpine has introduced an imposing air intake that caught attention during the winter tests in Bahrain.

No token system for the engines either. But we’re coming to a frozen regulation. Suggested by Red Bull, the development of power units will be completely halted in 2023, before the next generation of engines.

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