Teams can still improve 'frozen' cars for 2021

Jun.18 (GMM) There is “enough scope” in the new corona-era car development freeze for uncompetitive teams to improve their single seaters for 2021.

That is the claim of Racing Point technical boss Andy Green, referring to the fact that teams must also use their 2020 cars in 2021 to keep costs down.

“A bad car in 2020 will not automatically be a bad car in 2021,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

“We still have enough room to manoeuvre to pull our heads out of the noose.”

For instance, he said the FIA will give permission to fix reliability problems, while aerodynamic development is still open and a complex ‘token’ system is in place for some other car changes.

“The tokens only affect chassis components, gearboxes, suspension, the fuel system, the wiring harness and so on. This prevents major interventions in the concept of the car,” Green explained.

A nine-page FIA document sets out a list of components subject to the token system, with teams able to choose either one large or two small components to change for 2021.

“The rules are so complex that we are only just working out what we can and cannot do,” Green said.

“The restrictions are very strict, but if you are smart and have the money, you can still develop the 2021 car, especially in our case where we buy parts of the suspension and the gearbox from another manufacturer,” he added.

“We can modify these parts, because we are a year behind,” said Green, referring to the fact that Racing Point’s 2020 car features a range of 2019-spec Mercedes parts.