DFormula 1 makes a new start. Historians speak of the biggest rule change since 1983. Four decades ago, cars were required to have a flat underbody between the axles, which lasted until 2021. The six years before the reform at the time were all about ground-effect cars. They generated most of the downforce by inverted wing profiles under the sidepods. The revolution pulverized all records. In 1982, compared to 1977, the cars were 8 to 13 seconds faster, depending on the circuit. Because serious accidents were increasing, the world association pulled the emergency brake. 39 years later, the premier class is going in the opposite direction. Back to the ground effect. This time for completely different reasons. The new management from the USA wants more duels, better equal opportunities and lower costs. The old cars had become a problem. Too complex, too expensive and too critical in traffic. “Any deviation from the ideal has had a major impact on their performance. That also caused big differences in the field,” Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn sums up.
For the new season, which starts this Sunday, the tires are bigger and narrower, they should be more similar to those of road cars. The angle of attack of the vehicles is no longer swept, the cars now crouch flat or almost flat on the road. The condition of the underbody is new, and fewer wings and wings are attached to the cars, which appear more puristic. “We have to learn a lot,” says the French Alpine pilot Esteban Ocon in an interview with the FAZ, “there is a lot to discover. Our view from the cockpit is worse than before because of the larger tires.” In particular, the apex of the curve is not as visible as usual, “we have to aim more directly. We’re also sitting lower because the cars are flatter.” Taking the corner cleanly is of crucial importance, since the entire drive through depends on it and with it the speed.
Races in Formula 1 are by no means decided solely on top speed on the straight. Ocon and his teammate Fernando Alonso report positive first impressions that the new racing car behaves well in the fast corners and is reliable. Of course, the favorites are again Mercedes and Red Bull, while Ferrari are attracting attention with a spectacularly beautiful car and probably McLaren as well. Alpine, Renault’s sports car brand, sees itself in this top group, although not at the top yet. The French want to continue the progress made in the past year, set some highlights and “every now and then get 120 percent out of the car,” as Ocon says. Each driver completed around 140 laps a day during the test drives in Barcelona, during which the task was to collect data, learn to understand the car, optimize the aerodynamics and check stability within a strictly set framework with a certain amount of monotony.