this week came the message, Formula 1 has been waiting for:
Its newly developed 2020-deck is dropped, and one is running next year on with 2019-the tires.
2019-the tires were in the course of the just-completed season otherwise subjected to massive criticism – first and foremost from Kevin Magnussens Haas team. Here, one could as a rule do not exploit the tires, because they fell outside the temperature range (or’window’), where they worked optimally.
In the spring I heard a lot of times team chief Günther Steiner talk about how much he was looking forward to the new 2020 tyres, as Pirelli promised, would have a larger window.
Therefore, similar to the decision to continue with the existing deck immediately a really bad news for Haas.
But it is fortunately not.
For it was not the tires, destroyed the Haas 2019 season. They were only the symptom. The reason why the tires fell out of the window, was Haas VF19’s aerodynamics.
It is very technical here, but I must make it as simple as possible:
the Aerodynamics created good downforce in the fast corners, where Haas VF19 were among the season’s very best cars.
But in the slow cornering, where the car should change direction quickly, ‘disappeared’ downforcen, and so began the car of the act. It exposed the tires, that could not hold itself in the window.
as the rest of the team found themselves right with 2019-the tyres, began Haas’ criticism that sounds more and more sought.
eventually admitted was, that it was the aerodynamics and not the tires, that was the real problem with the VF19.
But it is also in the picture, to Haas in a certain degree themselves were to blame for the lack of ‘understanding’ by 2019-the tires.
They were introduced to all the team at a test immediately after the 2018 final in Abu Dhabi. Ferrari inmates Sebastian Vettel in the test, Mercedes asked up with Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull had Max Verstappen in the car. To the large team used so the experienced drivers, indicating how important the test was.
Haas F1 Team? They put up with Pietro Fittipaldi and Louis Deletraz, who together have run exactly zero grandprixer.
I don’t know if Haas underrated dæktestens importance, or they just needed the money from the Fittipaldis and Deletraz’ sponsors. But the result was in all cases, Magnussen and Grosjean started 2019 with less knowledge of tires than their competitors.
Where is Magnussen and co. so now?
I am convinced that it is an advantage for Haas, that continues with 2019-the tires. 2020-the tires have proved quite different than its predecessors, and would therefore require a considerable amount of getting used to.
The past season stressed that Haas, as the field’s smallest team had the more difficult this exercise than the larger competitors.
It is not surprising, for the Haas has one man who is dedicated to the ‘decks-understanding’ – the big team have whole departments for that sort of thing. If Haas were to start a new season with new tires, would, because of the lack of resources again quickly to come back.
And Haas have understood that the aerodynamics have to be in order, before the tires works. And you make sure that VF19’erens problem with slow vinkelsving not move over to the new VF20’is.
What is the background of that Haas, like the nine other team voted to reject the 2020 the tires and continue with the 2019 generation.
And this is the background that Kevin Magnussen is significant progress in 2020.
Peter Nygaard is B. T.’s Formula 1 correspondent.
Peter R.
B. T.’s Formula 1 correspondent. Educated cand. jur. in 1987, but has since worked in Formula 1 as a journalist. Every year, for all the Formula 1 races. A member of the Club 500 for the journalists who have attended more than 500 Formula 1 races. Holder of the Grand Prix Photo
