Review: This is what the new regulations brought Formula 1 in 2022

It was one of the biggest rule changes in Formula 1 history. 2022 had to provide more overtaking actions and better races. FORMULE 1 Magazine takes a closer look at the results and looks ahead to the technical side of the new season.

Nikolas Tombazis, technical director of the FIA, is generally satisfied with the new technical rules. “They have achieved what was expected. Following other cars has become easier. The effect of turbulent air behind a car has dropped from 50 to 25%,” says Tombazis.

The figures fit seamlessly with Tombazis’ words. In 2021, the Formula 1 fan saw an average of 29.1 overtakes per race. In 2022, this number was significantly increased and an average of 36.2 (+24%) overtakes were made per race.

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However, the new regulations also brought problems. Bouncing was the talk of the town in the first part of the season. After the summer break, the FIA ​​decided to slightly adjust the regulations: the flexibility of the underbody and the protective barrier were measured for dexterity. This has resulted in fewer problems and an almost complete resolution of the problem.

Eye on 2023

Artificial overtaking using DRS is still necessary. During the Spanish Grand Prix, it was seen that Max Verstappen could not get past George Russell without DRS, but with generally more speed. Nevertheless, the FIA ​​wants to get rid of artificial overtaking when possible. “It is still too early for that, but we will reduce the DRS effect on tracks where overtaking is easier,” said Tombazis.

The technical director says that by raising the underbody, teams lose about five to seven percent of downforce, which equates to about half a second per lap.

rain races

Racing in wet conditions is still a concern for the FIA. Once the track is wet, the car often becomes very unstable aerodynamically. The FIA ​​has two solutions in mind, but they will not be implemented until 2024 at the earliest. “Pirelli is working on better tires for racing in wet conditions, the FIA ​​is working on a sort of ‘fender model’ which will then only be used in wet conditions,” Tombazis continues. The fenders model will have to reduce the amount of spray, but disturb the aerodynamics as little as possible.

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