The new technical regulations introduced for the 2022 Formula 1 season should achieve their goal of making it easier for drivers to overtake, Mercedes believe.
The reigning constructors champions are due to launch their new car next week. It has been built to a new rules set which impose tighter limits on surface bodywork which is intended to alter the turbulent air generated by cars, allowing them to follow each other more closely.
Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin believes these changes mean the quality of racing “should certainly be improved” in 2022.
“A huge amount of effort has gone into these regulations, trying to mean that the car in front doesn’t disrupt the airflow for the following car,” he said. “That will allow the driver to stay closer and the closer you can get, the more likely you are to be able to overtake.”
However he cautioned that passing is likely to remain virtually impossible on some of F1’s more extreme circuits.
“Will it…