With a new regulation in place for 2021, the Ferrari Formula 1 team is set to benefit from having some additional wind tunnel time due to their poor performance in 2020.
The rules that have come into effect primarily aim at bridging the large performance gap developing between teams. From 2021 onwards teams will only be allowed to perform 40 test runs per week in their wind tunnels with a stipulation further necessitating that a team is 'punished' based on the performance from the previous season.
This means that Ferrari, who finished sixth in 2020, will have a 12.5% advantage of allotted wind tunnel time over Mercedes. The regulation doesn't specify whether the allotted time applies to a team's 2020 or 2021 car, which means with the upcoming aerodynamic overhaul, Ferrari are in a perfect position to maximise their performance for the next two seasons.
The table below breaks down the percentage of wind tunnel time each team is allowed based on their finishing order for 2020 as well as showing how the allotted time for 2022 will play out.
| Team's final position in the previous season | Percentage of wind tunnel tests 2021 | Percentage of wind tunnel tests from 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90% | 70% |
| 2 | 92.5% | 75% |
| 3 | 95% | 80% |
| 4 | 97.5% | 85% |
| 5 | 100% | 90% |
| 6 | 102.5% | 95% |
| 7 | 105% | 100% |
| 8 | 107.% | 105% |
| 9 | 110% | 110% |
| 10 | 112.5% | 115% |
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