At the moment, the Formula 1 teams are working hard on the designs of their new single-seaters, cars that will have ground effect and that will hit the asphalt in 2022.
And, after an ultra-competitive 2021 season, there are some fears that changing the regulations could trigger a bigger gap on the grid with some teams that may have found better ways to find performance.
The series has also not shied away from the fact that there is a possibility that one or two teams will be separated from the rest at the front of the grid in the early stages of the new regulations.
But Domenicali is in no doubt that, with teams still finding their way around the new rules, any advantage gained since the start of the season will be over very quickly.
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com , Domenicali said: “It’s clear that in the context of a season starting with new regulation and budget cap, the differences between the cars could be bigger than people might expect.
“But I am sure that the limitations linked to the new regulations will mean that if these differences exist, the gap will be closed more quickly.”
Domenicali’s belief has been backed by Ferrari, a team that believes that the most critical thing next year will be how quickly the teams will be able to respond to a more or less competitive situation at the start of the year.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto said: “It may be that at the start of the season there will be differences in the performance of the cars, due to the ways each team may have interpreted the rules and the different solutions.”
“What I think will be important is being able to understand the weaknesses and address them very quickly. So it’s the reaction of the team that will be key.”
“We can’t be sure we have a competitive car from the start, because you never know what can happen when you have such a big rule change. But it’s about being able to address weaknesses as soon as possible.”
Domenicali remains optimistic that the new generation of single-seaters should put more emphasis on driver talent, and that could lead to many more battles.
“We are facing a season (2022) where there are so many new elements, which can all be characterized in a positive or negative sense,” he said.
The ground effect cars have been designed to enhance the skills of the drivers. They are machines that must be handled well, without the dirty air that deteriorates the tires. The objective is to have duels between many drivers, without having limits related to the car.
