The introduction of sweeping new technical regulations for the 2022 Formula 1 season was always going to make this a year of profound change for the series.
But other alterations besides new aerodynamics and tyre specifications are responsible for a fundamental change in the character of F1 racing.
The latest car specifications are a significant step forward in safety over those which went before. Learnings have been taken from major accidents such as Romain Grosjean’s 2020 Bahrain shunt. Not to mention the tragic Formula 2 crash at Spa the year before, which claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert and left Juan Manuel Correa with serious injures.
But these safety improvements bring a performance cost. Impact absorption structures and anti-intrusion panels add mass. During the gestation of the new 2022 (previously 2021) rules the minimum weight level was raised repeatedly, and now stands at 798 kilograms, which is still below what some teams have been able to achieve.
Since Fernando…