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F1 regulations are scheduled for a massive overhaul this season. The cars are going to look different, behave differently, and are going to possess different characteristics. More often than not, the regulation change brings about the anticipation of a massive reshuffle of the pecking order – a reshuffle that could lead to some unusual suspects gaining prominence.
What if Haas produces a car capable of fighting at the front? Could we have Mick Schumacher all of a sudden punching above his weight? Believe it or not, something on similar lines has happened in the past (as you will find out later in this piece). Today, we look at three such scenarios where teams made the most of the regulation changes and turned the formbook on its head.
#1 Mercedes (2014 F1 season)
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It's hard not to trace back Mercedes' rise to prominence to the move towards the V6 turbo-hybrid engine in 2014. Before the change in regulations, Mercedes was looked at as a good team, one that might snatch a few podiums here and there. Winning the title or even challenging for it, however, was hard to perceive for the team.
The team flipped the script entirely by producing a state-of-the-art power unit that no other team could even come close to. The team dominated the 2014 season and would only concede three victories in the entire season. Such has been its dominance that the German team has not lost the constructors' title since 2014. If there ever was an example of a team making the most of a regulation change then it has to be Mercedes.
#2 Brawn GP and Red Bull (2009 F1 season)
Red Bull was not even a podium contender in 2008, and Brawn, who was Honda at the time, was a backmarker. The two teams, however, transformed themselves and their reputation in just a year. In the 2009 regulation change, Brawn brought in a revolutionary double diffuser that gave the team a distinct advantage. Meanwhile, Red Bull had the services of Adrian Newey to help them produce an amazing car that saw the team jump up the pecking order.
Brawn would make the most of its early-season lead, winning five of the first six races and then winning the title in 2009. On the other hand, Red Bull will carry on from the progress that it had made in 2009 and only get stronger in the coming years. The team would go on to win four consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013 as it dominated the new regulations.
#3 Renault (2005 F1 season)
The F1 world was reeling from Ferrari-Michael Schumacher's domination in 2005. The team and driver combo had swept the championship for five years in a row, and in 2004 especially, the car was on a different level compared to the chasing pack.
Yet in 2005, a late change in regulations forced teams to run only one tire compound throughout the race, turning the pecking order upside down. Renault, an unfancied French team, was in the lead now, leading the charge.
When it came to challenging for the title, teams like McLaren and Williams-BMW were considered to be the usual suspects at the time. Renault, however, was able to build a car that was capable of holding off any challenge. All of a sudden we had a young Fernando Alonso challenging for the title and winning it comfortably to become the then youngest-ever F1 champion at the 2005 Brazilian GP.
