Despite a growing acceptance overtaking is becoming more difficult in Formula 1 again, teams insist the last rules change intended to aid passing worked as intended.
Two years since F1 overhauled its regulations to encourage more passing, drivers have complained the ‘dirty air’ problem which prevents them from racing closely is getting worse again.
However Williams team principal James Vowles strongly believes the rules have changed F1 for the better.
“I don’t think the regulations have failed,” he said. “I think that would be wholeheartedly unfair.
“The competition is pretty tight in the midfield. There is overtaking that takes place. I think even on the data that we can see now, it’s still better than the ‘21, ‘20 generations of cars.”
However he accepts cars have become harder to follow again as teams have refined their designs over the past two seasons. “Undoubtedly, especially the leading pack have developed the car in an extraordinary way that as you develop downforce, is making it harder to follow.
But I still think on all the metrics and all the data we can see, you’re now getting closer than you were before as a result of things, which was an intention behind it.”
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He does not expect to see any improvement until F1’s next generation of chassis rules arrives in 2026.
“Whether they will improve in ’25, no, I don’t think so. There’s no reason to think it will improve next year.
“In ‘26 the rules are still being ratified as we speak, so it’s hard to evaluate that.”
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack also believes the quality of racing has been better under the post-2022 regulations.
“I think the regulations are not a fail, at all. It has allowed various designs from the beginning, then obviously a dominance that none of us want, but that’s a fact.
“All in all, I think we have one more year to go, and then we welcome the new ones. As James said, they’re not 100% fixed yet, and we look forward to them.
“But honestly, I think the current regulations are well done and well made, and we have had great racing behind one team.”
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