One of the main goals of the new ground effect single-seaters is to improve racing, and F1’s top officials hope that having more exciting battles will help increase audiences in the future.
But there is an even more important objective in all these changes: to create a Formula 1 that excites the drivers themselves.
In fact, looking at the origin of how Formula 1 chose to adopt a complete redesign of the technical rules, it has been discovered that one of the main motivators of said change was the drivers themselves.
It was the Drivers Association , chaired by Alex Wurz, that met and drafted a letter to Liberty Media bosses shortly after his arrival in the sport at the end of 2017.
In that letter, as Wurz himself explains, they explained that F1’s old aerodynamic philosophy was inimical to exciting racing, so it was something that needed to be addressed if the championship was to prosper.
“We (the GPDA ) worked on a document that was presented to the new owners, and it coincided with the addition of Ross [Brawn] and Pat [Symonds] to Liberty,” Wurz explained this week, reflecting on the origins of the regulatory change.
“We knew there was an opportunity to initiate and support a change, so we sent our letter to Liberty, the teams and the FIA requesting a change to the aerodynamic rules.”
“We asked them to look into abandoning the main concept of front wing flow sensitivity and moving towards a more robust aerodynamic platform, which should help drivers track each other more closely.”
Wurz , long famous for his technical qualities and also for his great analytical insights into motorsport in general, knew that a scientific approach was needed to help Formula 1 choose the right path.”
“The air generated by a racing car is turbulent. That means that the car that is behind simply loses grip and therefore the ability to go as fast.”
“That’s why aerodynamics has been a clear enemy of overtaking and track fighting for decades.”
“Over the years, the sport tried to find solutions. But quick fixes were only attempted, never new concepts developed systematically.”
“Obviously the drivers’ letter was not a scientific piece of work, but it was a very important help for F1 to have maximum confidence in seeking to improve the show.”
“So I think the new 2022 rules are a great example of the strength of all four stakeholders – F1, FIA, the teams and GPDA – aligned and working together on medium and long-term goals.”
“However, while I’m sure the new rules are going in the right direction, we also need to be realistic about what we can and can’t expect at the moment.”
That final comment is important, as Wurz acknowledges that it would be unrealistic to expect Formula 1 rules for 2022 to be 100% met from the first race.
According to the current president of the GPDA , there will be an adaptation period in which the grid will be compressed after some differences at the beginning.
Regarding overtaking, Wurz believes that although the new rules will benefit and increase the number of overtaking per race, it will not be easy either.
“When the best drivers are competing against each other and they make very few mistakes. And with the car’s performance being so evenly matched, overtaking is of course difficult,” he explains.
“I hope no one expects to see hundreds of overtaking per race. But in the long run I think we will see a much tighter grid and of course a better show.”
“An overtake will always be an act of skill and bravery, which is why we all like one risky move much better than ten DRS overtakes.”
“However, I think at the beginning the grid will be a bit separated by performance, which I think is a usual effect when new rules come into force. One team will inevitably find something that is quicker than the others.
“Once all the teams work together on the rules, we should have a much tighter grid and also much closer racing. So the prospect of the new rules is very exciting if we are realistic and patient.”
“If everyone is very close at the performance level, then the strategy will also be more difficult to foresee,” added Wurz .
“Previously, the top teams knew that after 15 or 20 laps they had a free stop window because of their gap to the rest of the grid.
“Now, if that window doesn’t exist, strategy planning is suddenly going to be a lot more complicated and unpredictable. That’s going to be a welcome side effect.”
