The new era of Formula One has finally arrived, with fans across the world getting to see their first glimpse of the full-size 2022 car at the British Grand Prix.
The regulations for next year were initially due to be introduced in 2021 but were later delayed due to concerns over rising costs and financial burdens for the teams during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The good news for all Formula One fans is that the new iteration of F1 cars are specifically designed to create better racing. This has been achieved through the simpler front & rear wing designs which will reduce the dirty air created that cause cars behind to lose their downforce – making it harder to execute a pass.
Current F1 cars lose 35% of their downforce within 20 metres of the car in front and 46% within 10 metres, which limits their ability to follow cars closely through high-speed corners and perform an overtake. The new 2022 designs will reduce this dirty aerodynamic wake created, and simulations suggest that the downforce lost will reduce drastically to 4% at 20 metres and 18% at 10 metres, allowing cars to follow more closely and increasing the opportunity for on-track manoeuvres.
How might some of the current team liveries look on our 2022 car?
A thread ⬇️#F12022 #F1 pic.twitter.com/mjh6fibXOp
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 16, 2021
The new 2022 F1 cars will sport more simplified front wings with flaps that stretch down all the way to the nose, while the rear wing is bigger and has “rolled tips” that push the air higher as it comes off the back of the car.
The new design also features over-wheel winglets, wheel covers, 18-inch wheels with low profile tyres (which reduce overheating) and a completely new 3D floor that will help channel the air under the car more efficiently.
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Formula One cars have also been as safe as they ever have been in the world of motorsport, but the new 2022 versions double down on this safety for the drivers. The chassis will now need to absorb 48% and 15% more energy respectively in the front and rear impact tests and withstand larger forces in the static squeeze tests.
The engine is now also designed to break away along with the chassis without exposing the fuel tank in the event of a crash, hopefully preventing a repeat of what happened to Romain Grosjean last year in Bahrain. While the current V6 turbo hybrid engines are set to continue in 2022, F1 will utilise a new fuel called E10 which will contain 10% ethanol – a sustainable biofuel with a zero carbon footprint.
While the 2022 cars are set to be 5% heavier due to the new safety regulations and bigger tyres, the designs are incredibly promising and could herald a new generation of Formula One that will hopefully include a lot more wheel-to-wheel action.
[Images Credit: Formula 1]
Shivaan Shah