

Two new constructors are developing cars to the 2016 Formula 1 technical regulations it has been revealed, but neither of them intends to race in the world championship. Instead by designing and building cars that are fully compliant with the 2016 rules both groups intend to offer a low cost route for drivers wanting get enough mileage in a grand prix car to get a Super Licence. The ambitious Perrinn company, based in the Yorkshire Dales region of England has already announced its project (pictured here) and Racecar Engineering has confirmed that there is also a second design in development elsewhere in Europe, but that project has yet to be made public.

The 2016 Super Licence regulations require a driver to clock up at least 300km in a Formula 1 car built after 2011. Currently this tends to mean that drivers must pay teams very large sums of money to drive what the FIA calls ‘Previous Cars’ essentially an otherwise obsolete V8 powered design. The mileage can be accumulated using a 2014 or 2015 design, (‘Current Cars’ in FIA parlance) but the cost of the power units is thought to be prohibitive, leaving young drivers few opportunities to get up to the required mileage without a substantial financial outlay.



Sauber’s development drivers were forced to use an obsolete V8 powered car in 2014

Testing restrictions mean that teams are generally unwilling to use up their already restricted track time with current cars on getting young drivers super licences.

The two new projects aim to offer a lower cost way to achieve the mileage required by the Super Licence rules, by building a ‘Current Car’ and not entering it into the championship. ‘This is not an official Formula 1 car, instead it is a car fully designed to the Formula 1 technical regulations’ Nicolas Perrin, who believes the Super Licence cars can be built up to a rolling chassis for a fraction of the cost of other teams cars. ‘We are not a Formula 1 entrant and we have no intention of being one. It means we have a lot of potential, we could be an engine manufacturer or technology testbed, young drivers could use our car to get a Super Licence or to get up to speed with modern F1.’

The FIA regulations specifically allow this approach, stating that the cars used must be designed and built in order to comply with the 2014, 2015 or 2016 Formula One Technical Regulations, however the rules do not state that the cars be built by Formula 1 entrants or indeed have ever been used in the Formula 1 World Championship.



Without the demands of competition the development and operation of these cars is thought to be significantly cheaper. Staffing levels are substantially reduced, lead times for component manufacture can be increased and the ‘development war’ is ignored, all of these and many other factors which also come into play cut costs substantially.

Both of the new designs are expected to shakedown in late 2015 or early 2016.

The full story of the design and development of the 2016 Perrin ‘Super Licence’ car can be read in the latest issue of Racecar Engineering (below)

