The FIA has released details of its Performance Factor (Pf) 2.0, which will be used to calculate the classification of cars involved in hill climb events. The revised performance factor system was originally due to be implemented in 2020, but was subsequently delayed by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the FIA European Hill Climb Championship. Application of the Pf will initially be limited to the so-called ‘closed’ cars in Category 1 of the FIA European Championship, International Cup and Hill Climb Masters races.
Calculating a car’s Pf involves an online calculator (www.fiaperformancefactor.com) that delivers a value reflecting the level of expected performance. To determine this value, the software bases calculations on easily ‘measurable’ characteristics of each car, of which there are 39, covering elements such as the weight of the vehicle (driver on board), its dimensions, any aerodynamic equipment, alongside engine and chassis data.
The FIA says its mathematical formula that generates the value of Pf has been refined in recent months, taking advantage of new studies and also feedback from the four national championships that adopted Pf in 2020 (Poland, Spain, Slovakia and the Czech Republic). The range of information to be entered into the software has been extended, with the extra data mainly concerning the engine, with, among other things, the compression ratio, plus the number and diameter of throttle bodies now needing to be declared.
To enter a car in Category 1 competition, each competitor must indicate the Pf value assigned to his car by the software as well as the number of the associated technical data sheet (the ‘Pf-ID’). The numbers generated by the new version of the system are recognizable by the code ‘Y2’, which is included in the eight-digit sequence of the Pf-ID. Data sheets produced by earlier versions are no longer considered valid. According to the value of their Pf, cars will be divided into one of the five groups that make up Category 1, as follows:
