One of the most radical technical shake-ups in Formula 1 history should see plenty of surprises in 2022. The goal in creating a new technical blueprint for the sport was to have a more level playing field. The aim of the changes to aerodynamics is to make it easier to follow cars and to allow the daring overtaking moves that fans demand.

If you’re new to Formula 1 in 2022 aerodynamics are the biggest part of racing that you’ll need to understand. Having an ability to maximize top speed while balancing it with an ability to carry lots of corner speed is the tight rope that all car designers have to walk. In Formula 1 the regulations are written and ten teams spend months tackling the rulebook to look for any advantage. They’re given the ingredients but the recipe is up to them. Can they make it work?

Over the last eight years Mercedes has been undefeated in the Constructors’ Championship, the award for the top team in Formula 1. Last year though they lost out on the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in that period. Formula 1 was more competitive than it had been in years and for 2022 it’s hoped that even more teams can get in the mix.

The wings that we see on a Formula 1 car generate huge amounts of down- force that effectively sticks a car to the ground. Such is the force generated that a Formula 1 car could, theoretically, drive upside down through a tunnel. This incredible force creates the spectacle of incredible speed but it also makes it very difficult to race with another car. The aerodynamics are very dependent on not having any traffic in front of you because once a car is in “dirty air” behind another they lose stability. The changes to regulations for 2022 are designed to ensure that cars can follow closer to one another wi- thout losing that performance.

A season consisting of 23 races means that between March and November we should see a clear picture develop of who has done the best job with the new regulations.

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