F1 team chiefs discuss about the 2022 regulations if they failed considering the dirty air situation has seemingly returned.
The 2022 changes were pinned by the FIA to limit the dirty air situation where F1 cars could get close but overtaking became difficult on a larger scale. Drivers needed good amount of pace difference to make the move stick.
The idea came about to limit the affects of the dirty air with the new generation of cars as the front wing, rear wing and also the floors saw changes. At first, things seems to work but as the years have gone by, the dirty air problem has likely return.
There hasn’t been strong rumblings as yet but F1 drivers have raised the flag regarding difficulties in following as it is overheating their car in close proximity. On larger scale, though, team chiefs don’t think the regulations failed as much.
Yes, there is dominance from Red Bull but the rest of the pack is largely close and the F1 cars is in a better shape than what it was just before the new regulations kicked-in in 2022. In terms of results, though, they are not certain if the top teams can be beaten.
Here’s what some of the F1 chiefs think –
James Vowles: “I don’t think the regulations have failed. I think that would be wholeheartedly unfair. I think the competition is pretty tight in the midfield. There is overtaking that takes place. I think even on the data that we can see now, it’s still better than the ‘21, ‘20 generations of cars. But undoubtedly, and especially the leading pack have developed the car in an extraordinary way that as you develop downforce, is making it harder to follow. But I still think on all the metrics and all the data we can see, you’re now getting closer than you were before as a result of things, which was an intention behind it. Whether they will improve in ‘25, no, I don’t think so. There’s no reason to think it will improve next year. And in ‘26, again, the rules are still being ratified as we speak, so it’s hard to evaluate that.”
Mike Krack: “Yeah, I agree with James. I think the regulations are not a fail, at all. I think it has allowed various designs from the beginning, then obviously a dominance that none of us want, but that’s a fact. But all in all, I think we have one more year to go, and then we welcome the new ones. As James said, they’re not 100% fixed yet, and we look forward to them. But honestly, I think the current regulations are well done and well made, and we have had great racing behind one team.”
Bruno Famin: “Nothing much to add, to be honest. I think I’m fully in line with James and Mike.”
Christian Horner: “I totally agree with these three gentlemen.”
James Allison: “I don’t necessarily think that they’ve failed in those terms, because our job is to try and make sure that we can make a good fight of it. But there are things in the regulations that don’t serve any of us well. I don’t think it’s sensible to have cars that hug the ground in the way that these cars hug it. And the idea that you get good racing by controlling wakes, while ignoring tyres… The whole idea of controlling wakes, being something of a tilting-at-windmills type of challenge, that side of things has been tested to destruction fairly evidently. But Red Bull are doing a good job and the rest of us have a duty to do a better job. I don’t think that’s the fault of the regulator.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong in particular with ground-effects floors. But the particular layout of these ones, that have a response to rear ride height that is not particularly good for the cars, that isn’t something that we should carry into 2026. Amongst the teams, that would be a pragmatically accepted response. The FIA is still very much of a mind to place wake management at the top of the tree of everything, sacrificing this stuff. And it’d be helpful if there was more of a balanced approach there.”
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