With the 2021 Formula One season only a few months away it's probably time to examine the changes that we will see in 2021. Even though the teams will be carrying over their 2020 chassis into 2021 there are a multitude of rule changes that will have an effect on the performance of the 2021 cars. I have tried to list what I consider to be the most important one's. They can be divided into the rules that affect the design of the 2021 cars and those that will have an impact on how the teams can operate during the season.

The first are that of the new regulations governing the design of the cars. These will see changes to the design of the cars floor as well as the rear brake duct aerodynamic winglets and the rear diffuser of the car.

The changes to the floor will see a significant change in its shape just in front of the rear tyres. In 2020 the floor extended right up to the rear tyres and would have various slots along the edge of the floor. The slots were used to have an effect on the flow of air at the edges of the floor improving the amount of downforce generated through an improve ground effect. Some of these slots had become very sophisticated with the bigger teams been able to find extra level of downforce through their designs.

But for 2021 the floor will see changes with a triangular portion of the floor just in front of the rear tyres been removed as well as seeing the banning of the previously used aerodynamics lots. All these changes are aimed at reducing the downforce generated though the air flowing under the floor.

As for the rear brake duct winglets they will be shortened in 2021. This is certainly not to the same magnitude of the change to the floor but they are sill aimed at reducing downforce. The changes to the rear brake duct winglets will see those on the lower half of the ducts set to be reduced in length to now be 80mm. The top winglets will remain at remain at 120mm.

At the rear of the car is the diffuser which is also used to generate downforce from the flow of air under the car. For 2021 the fences that guide the air through the diffuser will be reduced in size by 50mm thereby reducing the seal between the chassis and the track and in turn the downforce generated.

Outside the changes to the 2021 cars the other significant areas been impacted by the 2021 rule changes cover the introduction of a cost cap and the other been the introduction of limitations in regard to how much aerodynamic testing, be it either wind tunnel or CFD, that the teams can use.

As for the cost cap this season will see teams operating budgets set at $145 million with these been reduced in steps over the next few years. In 2022 it will be reduced to $140m and in 2023 to $135m. The cap covers the running a Formula 1 team. But there are various items that are not included with marketing costs, driver salaries and the salaries of the three highest earners in the team not included. Teams can also have costs of $45 million relating to capital expenditure between now and the end of 2024.

Also been introduced in 2021 will by the introduction of sliding scale aerodynamic testing regulations. This will see those teams that finished lowest in the 2020 constructors championship been allocated more time in terms of testing the aerodynamics of their 2022 car. This can be either in the wind tunnel or with their use of  Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In 2022 the scale will be even more noticeable.

These two changes with the budget cap and the aerodynamic testing limitations are changes that are aimed at essentially levelling the playing field in order to try and see Formula One become a sport less dominated by the bigger more well financed and resourced teams.