The current Formula One regulations have produced a car that creates a lot of turbulence behind it as it cuts through the air, which makes overtaking quite difficult. While the current car “fixes” that by implementing DRS, the 2021 regulations aim to remove that aero wash, according to a report by Motorsport.com.

The cars we see racing around currently have quite a different feel when in open air versus in a chase position. As a result of the turbulence on the following car, it is quite difficult to get close to the car in front. As soon as you tuck in behind for a reduction in drag and subsequent increase in speed, the aero wash from the car in front removes the downforce of the car behind nearly entirely. Some speed may be gained on the straight, but braking and cornering grip are compromised by a lack of aero.

According to F1 sporting director and genius aerodynamicist Ross Brawn, the current car loses as much as half of its aero performance when following two car lengths behind. For the 2021 regulations, Brawn says they already have a design that reduces that number to 10% performance loss while following.

Steps have been made for the 2019 regulations to reduce that aero performance dip by as much as one-third, which will hopefully translate to an increase in overtaking and an ability for drivers to fight on better footing. If this year’s racing results are a success, then that further reduction in aero penalty for 2021 sounds quite promising.

Brawn has to dance a fine line here, because the reduction in turbulence usually means a reduction in outright downforce.

I, too, would like to see overtaking become practical and possible again in F1. Bring it on.

The status regarding Silverstone's position as the host of the British Grand Prix beyond 2019 is rapidly becoming Formula 1's version of Brexit, with protracted talks apparently yielding little in the way of progress.

F1's director of motorsports Ross Brawn has admitted that he's becoming frustrated by the inability of Liberty Media and the British Racing Drivers' Club to reach an agreement that will safeguard the event on the calendar.

Silverstone activated a break clause in their contract in 2017 to terminate the agreement after this year's race, due to the escalating costs involved in hosting the Grand Prix. Despite initial hopes that a new deal could be swiftly agreed, negotiations are still ongoing.

"We want to find a solution with Silverstone," Brawn insisted. "But we are differing in our views. We're not far apart, it's frustrating that we can't find a solution."

Brawn said he didn't want there to be any doubt about Liberty's desire to keep the historic event on the F1 itinerary for many years to come, although it might mean a change of venue.

"We are determined to make sure we keep a British Grand Prix, and hopefully at Silverstone," Brawn said. "I don't think it will be the final British Grand Prix.

"Whether that's at Silverstone or not is another matter," he added. "Racing in the UK is important to us and obviously Silverstone has been the home of the British Grand Prix for the last few years.

"But most of us here can remember it being held at Brands Hatch and it didn't seem that strange that we had a race at Brands Hatch one year and Silverstone the next."

The British race is one of a number of F1's tentpole events under threat of disappearing from the line-up due to contract disputes, but Brawn said that there was nothing unusual in this.

"We have to give it perspective. A lot of races have renewed and there is a constant churn going on. They're not all aligned.

"But it's true we've got a group of races which are important to Formula 1. They are part of the history of F1, so we wouldn't want to lose them without a fight.

"We will try and find solutions. But promoters' circumstances change, and you can't always accommodate those changes.

"We're trying to accommodate, but we also have to be fair to the other promoters," he explained. "I think there'll be solutions, but we'll all have to work hard to find them."

A road race on the streets of London had been suggested as an alternative to a traditional race track setting. However Brawn feels this is unlikely because of logistical problems and the disruption it would cause to one of the busiest cities in the world.

"I don't think it's feasible to have a London race in the middle of London, unfortunately," he said. "The chaos and impact it would have would be too severe.

"But on the periphery of London there are a number of areas that could work.

"I don't see it as it would necessarily replace the British GP, it would be the London GP," he suggested. "London would be a different race than the British GP. It is a city race. There is a place for both."

Formula E last week announced that it would be returning to the city, with a street track based in the Docklands area around the ExCeL arena.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Silverstone is investing in more resurfacing work before the 2019 F1 and MotoGP events.

It was previously resurfaced by Aggregate Industries before the 2018 season, but heavy rainfall led to last year's MotoGP race being cancelled.

The latest "essential track maintenance" will be undertaken in June, according to a statement from Silverstone Circuits Limited.

It will be carried out after the Blancpain GT Series and British GT races in May and June respectively, and before July's F1 British Grand Prix.

FIA president Jean Todt wants to increase the number of teams in Formula 1 but is facing resistance from the sport’s current competitors.

For the third year running just 10 teams will participate in the new F1 season, which begins this weekend. In an interview with Sky last week Todt admitted he wants to increase that number.

“It’s always a long debate,” he said. “At the moment we have 10 stable teams.

“As you know we are talking together with the commercial rights holder [Liberty Media], with the teams, about the renewal of the Concorde Agreement [beyond] 2020. And we are considering a lot of things.

“Of course for me I think it would be better to have 12 teams. If you speak about that to the actual team principals they are not very happy about that because of course it will change financial distribution, so it will be different for them. But it’s part of the discussion.”

Todt indicated Formula One Management also wants to expand the grid.

“At the end of the day the most important is not so much the number of teams it’s the quality of the team and the quality of the show. So that’s something we do fully agree together with Formula 1, with Chase Carey, with his team and we are working very closely together.”

Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur, who told RaceFans F1’s current financial model is “unsustainable” for more than half the grid, said it would be difficult for any new teams to enter the sport at the moment.

“The situation to take over this kind of company today is… I don’t want to say unrealistic, because you will always find someone able to do it, but it’s challenging.”

The Ferrari Formula 1 team has revealed a revised livery for its 2019 F1 car for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Ferrari's new SF90 challenger was launched and made its debut in pre-season testing with extensive branding for Mission Winnow, an initiative by title sponsor Philip Morris.

But news had broken during the off-season that Australian authorities were investigating whether Mission Winnow complied with tobacco advertising laws, and Ferrari subsequently confirmed its cars would not carry Mission Winnow branding in Melbourne.

The team has now unveiled a special revised livery that Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc will race in the Australian GP.

“Over the Australian Grand Prix weekend, the SF90 livery, the drivers’ race suits and some of the team’s track equipment will bear the logo celebrating 90 years of the Scuderia,” Ferrari said in a statement.

“The race in Melbourne represents the start of celebrations for this special anniversary, which will run throughout the Formula 1 season and also feature in the Prancing Horse company’s other racing activities.”

The commemorative logo has taken the place of Mission Winnow branding on the front wing, rear wing, nosecone and engine cover.

However, some of the Mission Winnow logos have been simply removed, meaning the cars will run with additional blank space in Melbourne.

It is expected that the branding for the Phillip Morris initiative will return to the cars in the second race in Bahrain, although Ferrari has not specifically communicated its plans in this regard.

​​​​​​I can't tell you my name, or where I work, because my team would not want me to be doing this. F1 is a secretive world. So let's just call me The Secret Aerodynamicist.

Bottas ignored Wolff instruction not to go for fastest lap

Robert Kubica's return to the F1 grid on Sunday in Australia was a three-part affair marked by panic, worry and optimism for the Williams driver.

The British team's beleaguered FW42 was only good for a spot on the last row in Melbourne, but to complicate Kubica's already difficult task, an inability to see the starting lights when he lined up on the grid set off a minor panic attack.

"I had a bit of panic because when I stopped I couldn’t see the lights," he said.

"The rear wing of the McLaren [of Carlos Sainz] was hiding it.

"I could see the first block and not the rest. So I had to move to the left and it was a bit of a panic moment."

It was but the start of the Pole's challenging day as the run down to Turn 1 delivered another moment of chaos.

"I did a pretty good start but unfortunately with hard tyres then I had a lot of wheelspin.

"In Turn 1, I was on the inside and on the exit of the corner one of the Red Bull’s [Gasly] moved right to avoid another contact and we touched, damaging my front wing so I had to come in to box."

But wait, there's more!

After his Williams crew replaced the FW42's front wing, Kubica rejoined the race only for his car to lose one of its mirrors, which added another burden to his already depressed state of affairs.

"The car was not feeling great, and then additionally on lap three of the race I lost one mirror, which made it even more difficult with blue flags. So it was quite hard.

"Once I was in free air I was told the pace was not bad, actually it was good for the car with the state I was having. I nearly started laughing because from the inside it felt very bad."

After a solitary run to last, one lap adrift from team mate George Russell, Kubica made the best of his first Grand Prix since Abu Dhabi in 2010, insisting on looking at the glass as half-full.

"There are some positives," he said. "I think yesterday I couldn’t be happy but it was a complicated day.

"Today was probably even more complicated but from the things I could have control over, I think I did a reasonably good job and I was quite confident that I could do it.

"Probably most of the people had doubts about my physical aspect, the first corner and the start.

"It was my first standing start after eight years and four months. I had never done a standing start on the grid since Abu Dhabi 2010 and actually it was quite good.

“But overall, I am leaving Australia with definitely more experience, and reasonably happy – although I will never think I would say something like this having this pace and finishing so far behind!"

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto offered a very positive review of Charles Leclerc's performance in Melbourne, his maiden race with the Italian outfit.

The young Monegasque qualified fifth for the Australian Grand Prix and held his own on Sunday without putting a foot wrong, concluding his day hot on the heels of team mate and fourth-placed man Sebastian Vettel.

Binotto underlined the 21-year-old's performance, especially in the second part of the race during which he reeled in the German, but also praised Leclerc's collective approach to his work with his new team.

"I’m happy with the way he’s behaving as a team player," said Binotto.

"Not only as a driver, he’s very helpful for the team but as well he has a very bold claim to do his best, pushing hard on the engineers to try to prove himself and for a better car."

The Scuderia chief assessed Leclerc's efforts as a whole, from Friday through Sunday, insisting it had been a strong first outing.

“I think if you judge the entire weekend it’s a very strong one," added the Swiss engineer.

"His qualifying wasn’t perfect, he’s aware of it, but I think he drove well also in Q1 and Q2, maybe not perfect in Q3, but generally speaking he had a very good weekend.

"I think that his second stint was strong performance as well so I’m happy with the way he’s approaching the first race and if that’s the starting point, then it’s a good starting point."