Formula 1 2022: Can't-Wait!

RAAJVIR VIJAY
Oct 13, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Dec 4, 2020

The 2022 F1 season is frequently dubbed as "the new era of Formula 1" and fans are dying to experience it.

In this article, I am covering the story of how it came by, the reasons of change, whats new, and the ultimate purpose. Starting with the history.

The first view arrived as concept FIA car designs via sketches.

Then after a few days, they released an image of the 3D render of the FIA car concept, and later they also posted a video and a whole gallery of images.

The FIA states that this was done due to a number of reasons, that include 1.Better looking cars, 2. Cars that allow others to drive closer together, 3. Fairer Finances, 4.Fewer upgrades and more standard parts, 5. Less wind tunnel testing and 7.Revised race schedules. But why. Let me explain.

Better looking cars:

This one is quite straightforward. It's not only you who thinks that the 2020 cars don't look very beautiful or good-looking. The teams always prioritize function over form and try to extract the most performance out of the cars that have been shaped out of stringent regulations. This has always been the story, and there have been some ....radical looking cars due to this.

Now the new ones. They say on their website that the 2021 F1 cars will have a radical new design philosophy and striking new look - with sweeping bodywork, simplified front wings, bigger rear wings, increased underbody aerodynamics, wheel wake control devices, simplified suspension and low-profile tires with 18-inch rims. Also, it is proposed that the wheel rims will be fitted with a rotating LED display panel, to provide information to spectators, while a bodywork display panel is also proposed for the same reason.

In short, this is the kind of car kids will want posters of on their bedroom walls.

Cars that allow drivers to follow closely behind

Now, this is a very important part of the "next era of f1" because right now in racing, the cars following the leading car, don't get enough downforce and have to slow down, more than the car in the front, and thus losing overtaking opportunities. It is caused by dirty air, which is the turbulent and unorganized air coming from behind a car.

This is a crucial problem and can cause accidents too, if the driver is not careful. This problem isn't left unsolved though, they had proposed a solution, DRS. DRS or Drag Reduction System as the name states, reduces the drag of the car. It basically opens a flap in the rear wing making a giant hole and therefore reducing drag, and also downforce. But you may ask, how is that gonna help. See, the DRS is only available to the following car that is chasing within one second of the leading one. Certain straights have been allotted as DRS zones where the following driver can activate it and therefore gain on the leading driver and potentially overtake him. And, as was saying, DRS reduces downforce too, and the driver switches it off during the last second when nearing a corner.

Now, why is it bad? Many people argue that with DRS, the skill is taken from overtaking and defending. Furthermore, when the car behind activates DRS, the leader cant block them too. You're only allowed to defend once and it's generally considered pretty dangerous to do so, since there'll be a lot of speed difference.

Running in dirty air behind another car, a 2019 machine could lose more than 40% downforce. But with the 2021 car design, this drops to around 5-10%, with airflow coming off the new cars both cleaner and directed higher, meaning it has significantly less impact on drivers following, giving them the chance not just to overtake, but to battle.

So, that's why the new F1 cars are going to be designed to reduce dirty air as far as possible.

Fairer Finances

For the first time ever, Formula 1 will introduce spending restrictions to make the sport fairer and more sustainable. A cost cap will be set at $175m per team, per year, and applies to anything that covers on-track performance – but excludes marketing costs, the salaries of drivers, and of the top three personnel at any team.

The F1 cost cap will end the growing spending gap between F1’s big spenders and those with fewer resources, and the on-track performance differential this brings.

This is a mixed bag for me, as I like the idea of similar performing cars and the variety of podium sitters this brings along with, but this reduces the amount of R&D spending and therefore reduces variety amongst cars. This sport is about the balance between a good driver and a matching good car. I just hope there is a variety of car designs.

Standardized parts

It is quite obvious that this is done to reduce costs and as discussed above, increase sustainability.

Ok, now a gallery of the best renders of future F1 cars:

Mercedes W13 EQ+