F1 overhauled the design of the vehicles for 2022 in a bid to create nearer wheel-to-wheel racing and scale back the affect of soiled air lowering downforce when following, permitting for extra overtaking motion.
This was achieved by redesigning the form of the entrance and rear wings, eradicating bargeboards and bringing again floor effect-style aerodynamics.
Drivers have been largely constructive in regards to the affect of the brand new laws this 12 months, believing it had allowed for higher on-track battles.
However this has now been backed up by the numbers as Pirelli revealed on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi on the end-of-season take a look at that overtaking had elevated by greater than 30%.
Over the 2021 season, Pirelli mentioned there was 599 recorded overtakes by way of the season – however in 2022, this determine elevated to 785 overtakes over the identical 22-race span.
Pirelli F1 chief Mario Isola defined that solely “correct overtakes” have been counted within the evaluation, which means the numbers weren’t skewed by vehicles pitting or dropping down the order.
“Sadly it’s troublesome to have a statistic the place in the event that they overtake one another two or 3 times in a lap, like I don’t know Jeddah or another races,” mentioned Isola.
“However then on the principle straight, they’re in the identical place, you don’t get this as a result of it’s too troublesome. It’s simply actual overtaking.
“I consider it’s an excellent quantity, 30% extra, contemplating that’s knowledgeable by the information, so it’s not exaggerated. It’s fairly a great level.”
Isola defined how the power for vehicles to observe one another extra carefully meant there was much less sliding impacting the tyres, in addition to the actual fact drivers might push extra constantly over a stint.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR22, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A522, Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing RB18, Zhou Guanyu, Alfa Romeo C42, Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-22
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“It’s not simply the tyre, it’s the bundle that’s working properly, that was a part of the design of the brand new bundle,” mentioned Isola.
“The truth that once they observe one another, they lose much less downforce is clearly serving to the tyre, as a result of they don’t slide extra, they slide much less they usually don’t overheat.
“We determined to introduce this new household of compounds [with] a lot much less overheating, some degradation.
“However the drivers with thermal degradation can push, as a result of they have been complaining up to now that once they have been following one other automotive and pushing, they have been beginning to lose grip and slide, and clearly there isn’t a risk to assault once more.”
Isola felt the rise within the variety of overtakes was not the one indication it had been a great season for the brand new laws, noting how aggressive it was significantly within the midfield.
“[They] have been preventing two, three vehicles collectively, overtaking one another, attempting to make use of any risk or any mistake from the competitor to overhaul and pushing for not one nook, however three, 4, 5 laps,” he mentioned.
“That’s the most important distinction that I’ve seen this 12 months in comparison with the previous. It was not straightforward to do this. It was doable due to the brand new vehicles, it’s not simply the tyres. However the tyres have been additionally serving to to realize that, so I’m fairly pleased with that.”
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