FIA Adjusts Aerodynamic Testing Regulations for 2024 Dakar Rally Season
(Dakar Rally, [Current Date]) – In a move aimed at fostering closer competition in the Dakar Rally, the governing body of the sport has announced changes to the regulations governing aerodynamic testing for the upcoming 2024 season.
According to Mercedes driver George Russell, the current sliding scale system, which bases a team’s wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) allocation on their championship position, should be revised to instead consider the percentage of points scored.
“The wind tunnel thing is really good, but it’s based on positions at the moment, rather than points,” Russell explained. “Red Bull have been double the amount of points than the second place team in the constructors’ championship, yet they get the same difference in wind tunnel reduction as second or third.”
Under the existing regulations, the team that finishes first in the championship starts the new season with 70% of the baseline aerodynamic testing allowance, with this percentage increasing by 5% for each position down to 10th place, where the multiplier reaches 115%.
However, Russell argues that basing the multiplier on points scored rather than championship position would allow teams trailing in the standings to catch up more quickly, as the current system does not adequately account for large disparities in points.
“Mercedes to Ferrari last year, there was only three points different, so maybe if it’s based on the number of points scored rather than the actual position in the championship, that would help the team to catch up quicker,” he said.
The latest adjustments to the aerodynamic testing regulations will come into effect at the start of the 2024 Dakar Rally season, as the governing body seeks to create a more level playing field and encourage closer competition throughout the championship.
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