The F1M Forums

The overhangs (front+rear) is only 5 mm shorter than the current spec.
The Mercedes W12 wheelbase is around 3700 mm which is about 100 mm (~4") longer. I think most teams will use something close to the maximum wheelbase to increase down force. The new cars will not be too different in size than the current cars.

One thing that I have not stated is the increase in weight. The new minimum weight is at 775kg, increased from the current 752kg.

Wings have to be covered with rubbery material to prevent shattering.

As a general shape its ok. My issue is the ever diminishing technical freedom / scope for variability. That is more cfd than the rules, but it all plays a part. The cars aren’t identical, but they are more similar every year. For someone who is more interested in the engineering and innovation than the drivers the ‘spectacle’, it holds less appeal. 2012 (with the force fit noses) was really the end of the line for me.
So for me 2022 > 2021, but i haven’t watched a race since 2018...

The current cars look unfinished, these horrible barge board area that looks like scaffolding, broken nose, way too wide front wings and way too long wheelbase.
Some of these issues will hopefully be addressed with the new cars and that’s a step in the right direction.

When the current cars were introduced in 2017, I thought it was great. But by now I started to appreciate the “until 2016” much better, due to their smaller dimensions and relative lightness. Today’s cars are too big.

I always see F1 as a race with two parties working together, the engineering section and the driving section. Any team wants to win has to have both parties working to the top.

There are always different views for racing. Some people want to have racing like F2, i.e. spec racing. It emphasizes the setup skill and driving skill. There is no technical development allowed. Racing on track will be very tight as there is not a lot difference between the cars.

The other camp is like formula 1, the technical development is dominant. A poor car design goes no where even you put a top driver in it. With this model, money is really important because development needs a lot of money.

I think the 2022 regulation wants to strike a balance that development is still key but is under control. The difference between the quickest and slowest cars is smaller. This is close to what we have this year.

Innovation is really important now as the rules are tight. I predict that the 2022 cars will be interesting to see. The differences may not be easily recognized by the general public. I hope the spread of car performance will be smaller than in 2014.