FIA reflects on the hits and misses of 2022 Formula 1 season, changes coming in 2023, an intriguing wet-weather study and more.
- While the gap between the top F1 teams and the mid-pack teams in 2022 was significant, behind them the racing was significantly closer, drivers could follow each other much more.
- The FIA is exploring the efficacy of a wet-weather package that would “hopefully get used only a couple or maybe three times a year—not every time there is a drop of rain.”
- DRS may also be reined in at some tracks, over fears that the slipstream effect was too potent, facilitating drive-by passes that fail to ignite any emotion.
Formula 1 introduced overhauled technical regulations in 2022 to produce closer racing. But did it work, and what’s next?
Autoweek was among a small group of media which heard from FIA technical officials to find out.
Did 2022 work?
It is a matter of perspective.
F1 did not deliver an astonishing title fight that replicated the drama of 2021—the final year of the previous regulatory cycle. But while one driver/team combination surged to the title, behind them the racing was significantly closer, drivers could follow each other much more, and the field spread was not enormous.
The midfield group was very competitive while Williams, the slowest team, still made Q3 and scored points on several occasions. However, only the usual suspects were victorious and from the available 66 podium spots, 65 of them were taken by Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes—with McLaren’s Lando Norris the sole interloper at Imola, back in April. Despite that, sole tire supplier Pirelli recorded 785 overtakes through 2022, an increase of 30% over 2021.
FIA’s Head of Single-Seater Matters Nikolas Tombazis
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Clearly, 2022 was a mixed bag.
“I think the cars were able to follow each other, and in combination with the tires, it helped,” said the FIA’s Head of Single-Seater Matters Nikolas Tombazis. “Clearly a good race needs to be close, (cars) fighting, and in the second half of the season it was a bit more of a clear-cut winner of course.”
The continued advantage of the leading teams was noted. As a caveat, several of the midfield teams (Alpine, McLaren, Aston Martin) are still in rebuilding projects, while the cost cap was always expected to take years to have a true impact.
“The fact is the cost cap will take years to sink in, there’s still an initial advantage for people, and I think initially it was bound to be the better-off teams who adapted better to the rules,” Tombazis said. “I think it is an outcome of the first year of the regulations—but the gaps were very low for it being a first year. I think if it was the fifth year like that it’d be a worry.
“If you look back at 2014, 2009 or 1998 I guess, those first years (of regulation resets) usually had some fairly big gaps and I think this has been much less.”
The closer racing was also aided by Pirelli’s overhauled compounds on 18-inch rims, with the new regulations working in conjunction with F1’s long-term supplier.
“When they follow each other and don’t lose downforce it helps the tire as they don’t slide the tire and don’t overheat it,” said Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola. “They complained in the past that when following and pushing they lose grip, slide, and there is no possibility to push again. I believe it’s not just the number of passes that shows us [it was] a good season, but drivers in the midfield fighting together, overtaking each other, and pushing for not one corner but for laps—that’s the biggest difference.”
Drivers were largely complimentary over the regulation changes in terms of their intended aim: at allowing them to follow each other closely through the reduction of “dirty air.”
Porpoising
Teams struggled with porpoising issues throughout the season, leading to regulation changes related to floor construction.
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One ground-effect phenomenon that was evident from the opening shakedown test in Barcelona back in February was porpoising—later officially called “vertical oscillation” by the FIA. Aggressive bouncing was a consequence of the new regulations and impacted some teams more adversely than others. The FIA eventually took action with mid-season alterations on safety grounds, including a measurement that assessed and restricted the vertical oscillations, and tweaked the floor regulations further for 2023.
“It caught everyone a bit by surprise,” Tombazis said. “Though some people had some smug comments in our historic department. In reality, nobody had actually predicted that properly and how the problem occurs is fairly well understood. We took some measures for this and next year. In the meantime, teams learned a lot about it. Clearly there’s been a massive, massive change since Baku for example.”
Tombazis expects the effect to be “reduced inherently” in 2023 due to the changes. Those tweaks to the regulations, and the introduction mid-season in 2022, led to some typical paddock bickering amid accusations of teams playing games, but these were swiftly rubbished by the FIA.
“Invariably, and I know that as I’ve been on the other side of the fence, teams always forget very quickly things they’ve benefited from and remember what penalized them,” Tombazis said. “We try and be as even handed as we can and don’t look at benefiting one more than the other, but the psychology of competition is such it makes you think someone is out to get you.
“I’ve got no doubt we did the right things, finding the right short- and medium-term solution.”
Wet Weather
Formula 1 officials are determined to reduce spray during wet-weather episodes.
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Formula 1 has justifiably faced criticism in recent years over its display in races affected by rain.
There was the infamous 2021 debacle in Belgium, an event Tombazis concedes “left scars on the sport” despite the unfortunate circumstances. This year’s race in Japan was heavily delayed, and then run across only half-distance, due to rain. Drivers have suggested this year’s ground effect cars have accentuated the issue of spray, while the dire performance of Pirelli’s full wet tire has long been criticized – an aspect the company has accepted and is striving to remedy for 2023. “We know we have to improve its performance and the warm-up,” said Isola in Abu Dhabi. Wet-weather testing will take place over the winter in a bid to help its cause.
The FIA is going further by exploring the efficacy of a wet-weather package which Tombazis says would “hopefully get used only a couple or maybe three times a year—not every time there is a drop of rain.”
The standard bodywork kit, effectively wheel arches, would be fitted before running in extreme weather conditions, or during red flag periods if torrential rain strikes. They would remain on in the event of a wet/dry race, due to the time involved in their removal. Further evaluation is taking place across the coming months and it is hoped could be ready in time for mid-2023, though early 2024 is more feasible. Part of the study involves ascertaining the proportion of spray from the diffusers and spray from the tires, as well as ensuring the effect of the devices “is relatively small on the overall aerodynamics” of the cars. The FIA is hopeful that it will have a 50% reduction on the impact of spray.
“It would have been 10 times worse (than Spa 2021) if we went all the way to Japan and had to pack up and come back,” said Tombazis. “We have spectators, people watching, teams travelling the world—to say we can’t race is irresponsible almost.”
Looking Ahead
Formula 1 may limit DRS going forward.
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F1’s floor changes for 2023 means cars are likely to initially lose around 15-20 pounds of downforce, leading to a lap time loss of half a second, according to Tombazis, but the rapid rate of development should swiftly nullify the loss. Design convergence, as teams continue learning while study other concepts, is likely, after 2022 began with strikingly different approaches.
“I think there is probably going to still be two or three broad concepts next year—sooner or later it will converge,” said Tombazis. “I do also remind (people) that we took (photos of) the 2020 cars and painted them all white and most people couldn’t identify them from the other ones, under the previous regulations, so this notion that cars are going to be completely different… yes we would love it, but I don’t think in the modern set of conditions in the regulations it is entirely possible.”
DRS may also be reined in at some tracks, over fears that the slipstream effect was too potent, facilitating drive-by passes that fail to ignite any emotion. It could be modified further in the coming years—just one of a range of aspects the FIA is studying.
“We are busy looking at the next step, and that will be 2026, and I think there’s more we need to be conscious as a sport of what our obligations are,” Tombazis says. “We need to remain exciting, that’s important, but we need to make sure we remain aligned with the direction society is heading towards.
“We also need to consider the current financial health of the sport is not a guarantee so cost-cutting needs to remain—some people they think sometimes cost-cutting is a bit of a pain, we’d all love everything to be abundant and not have to worry about it, but only three years ago we were worried two or three teams could go under. We never know how it will pan out world-wise, so we need to make more cost-cutting changes for the future.”
Keyword: FIA Says F1 Racing Was Better This Season, But 'Cost Cap Will Take Years to Sink In'