(Motorsports news) In 2024, the Qatar race has been rescheduled from early October to the end of November due to colder weather, which raises fears of repetition. But starting with the upcoming season, teams are now allowed to install an extra scoop atop the chassis in an effort to further cool the cockpit scoop. Similar to the inlet that might be employed in the nose tip, the new driver cooling scoop will have its proportions restricted to eliminate any potential unintended aerodynamic benefits.

After the race, a number of drivers needed medical assistance for severe cases of heat fatigue; Logan Sargeant of Williams even had to retire from the race due to heatstroke. Despite the exceptionally harsh circumstances in Qatar, the FIA promised to act quickly to prevent it from happening again.

If the scoop implies less aerodynamic sensitivity or reduces weight significantly to counterbalance the more forward position, the teams may even decide to use it instead of the nose tip inlet, since it is a further option available to them and is not limited to usage in extreme circumstances. They could, of course, also combine the two or select the combination that balances aerodynamic performance with driver cooling on a particular circuit.

Mercedes was the last team in recent memory to employ a driver cooling scoop atop the chassis, back in 2014, when the regulations allowed for the occasional little scoop to be seen on the vanity panel. It’s interesting to note that during the Qatar Grand Prix, several teams were missing the optional driver cooling aperture in the nose tip. This raises the question of whether or not every team should have a required specification on hand in case the situation calls for it.

Regulations have also been changed to restrict the use of metal in the car floor; parts and inserts are no longer allowed in the outer wing, fences, and borders of the floor body. The use of brackets or fasteners that are allowed between the floor and edge wing and any metallic components used for wear protection, as long as they adhere to the tolerances outlined in the new standards, are the clear exceptions to this rule.

The modifications raise the possibility that teams have been utilizing metal inserts and components to limit flexion and provide an aerodynamic advantage, but there may also be worries about how this could lead to a debris problem in the case of an accident.

Another minor but significant change will mandate that teams install physical stops to keep the front wing flap from being adjusted more than the 40mm specified by the regulations. This adjustment was probably made to keep the flaps from being unduly released while the automobile is moving and outside the parameters of static testing.

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