Formula 1’s new regulations for 2022 were years in the making – indeed, a year more than originally envisaged, as their introduction was delayed after the Covid-19 outbreak.
The long wait to see the first cars built to F1’s radically overhauled rules set finally ended today. And while it’s far too early to draw conclusions about who’s quick and who isn’t, we’ve already gleaned the first details about F1’s bold new era.
Same problem, different solutions
Ferrari has produced one of the most novel designsF1 designers agree the new technical rules limit their scope for development. However the rules still mark such a departure from what went before that the teams have pursued several noticeably different solutions.
Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have all produced remarkably different interpretations of the regulations around sidepod dimensions. Cooling arrangements vary. Front and rear wings in varying degrees of sophistication have appeared. Some teams have departed from…