Formula One is about to undergo a significant change next season, with the new vehicles to be used having been given a welcomed new design and various different modifications that will allow for the motorsport to be able to improve and potentially attract a new audience.
Indeed, the changes will not come into the equation until next year, with the current 2021 season still only halfway through, with Lewis Hamilton currently leading the leaderboard in regards to points from his closest rival, Max Verstappen, although that gap could be closed or even eliminated following the upcoming Belgian 2021 Grand Prix as the Dutch driver is favourite to win according to the PA sports betting odds provided by Unibet.
Things could be a lot different next season, though, as there are 10 different modifications that people need to know about regarding the cars that will be used in the upcoming race calendar. Continuing reading to find out all about those modifications below!
- Car designed to promote better racing
As highlighted, F1 are looking to make the sport better and one way in which they are going to do this is by bringing in a regulation that will allow for closer racing to happen. This means there is the potential for more overtaking to take place on the circuit, therefore making races even more exciting.
To make this happen, the car will see a reduction in downforce, thus allowing vehicles to get closer to each other, rather than having to try and continually make up the distance.
- Over-wheel winglets make first appearance as wheel covers come back
The introduction of the over-wheel winglets for the very first time should allow for the car to be able to actually conduct a form of close racing, as the aerodynamics involved are a lot more resilient compared to the vortices that are used on the front wing.
In addition, wheel covers will make a return to the cars for the first time since 2009 and this will allow for airflow to be sent through the wheels to help increase downforce whilst also adding aerodynamics to the vehicle, as well.
- 18” wheels with low-profile tires included for the first time
New Pirelli 18” tires will be coming into force in the 2022 F1 season, with regulations allowing for a bigger set of wheels to be used. These wheels have been designed to try and reduce the number of times they overheat, thus allowing them to achieve their primary aim of achieving a closer racing experience.
The lower profile tires have been introduced to try and reduce sidewall deflection changes, whilst also helping to improve the aerodynamics.
- Front wing and nose concepts completely re-designed
Whilst the front wing has continued to undergo a number of changes in recent years, it seems the 2022 season will change things up once again as they look to implement a completely new shape. The front wing will have the aim of trying to generate a constant downforce when closely behind a car, whilst also ensuring the front of the car is controlled as well as possible.
- Fully-shaped underfloor tunnels included
Whilst it could be considered a throwback to the 70s, the F1 car in 2022 will feature fully shaped underfloor tunnels which are similar to the upside-down aeroplane wings that were used to create a huge amount of downforce.
The downforce generated now, though, will be better preserved and will allow for greater performance, as well as closer racing between competitors.
- Rear wings have ‘rolled tips’
The rear wings have also been given a modification for next season, with each of these having been given ‘rolled tips’. This means a rotational airflow will be possible as it is collected at the rear wheel wake and transported to the flow that is exiting the diffuser.
- Same power unit as 2021 being used
One of the things that will be kept from the current 2021 F1 season is that the cars will continue to use the same power kit. Currently a 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid unit, these power units are amongst the most innovative and efficient engines available.
- Sustainable fuel to be used
What is changing for the power units, though, is the fuel that will be run through them. Currently, regulations mean fuel that contains 5.75% bio-components, however, that will rise to 10% for the upcoming F1 season. A move to ‘E10’ fuel – Eternal with a 10% mixture – will be used to help make this modification happen.
- Safety is the most important thing
When taking a look at the design of the cars, there is no doubt that safety has been at the forefront of the plans, especially as there have been a number of crashes that could have been potentially fatal.
The chassis needs to absorb 48% and 15% more energy in the front and rear impact tests respectively, whilst they also need to get stronger.
A longer nose section has also been adopted to try and help send energy across a vast space when a crash happens to try and eliminate fatalities following the death of Anthoine Hubert at Spa in the 2019 Formula 2 season.
- 2022 car tested over 7,500 times
In order to make sure the car is ready to be made from a design point of view, the 2022 car has already been put through over 7,500 different simulations to get to the point that they are at today.
Using a total of 16.5 million core-hours to solve the simulations in exclusive sessions at Sauber’s wind tunnel in Switzerland, there has been plenty of testing to ensure that they get everything right and ensure the 2022 edition of the F1 vehicle is ready to go.