via Reuters
Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 15, 2021 (L – R) Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel pose during a promotional photoshoot for the unveiling of the new 2022 F1 car REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
via Reuters
Formula One F1 – British Grand Prix – Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, Britain – July 15, 2021 (L – R) Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel pose during a promotional photoshoot for the unveiling of the new 2022 F1 car REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
The 2022 season will be historic in many ways for F1. The sport is bringing in one of its biggest changes in regulations in the past three decades. We expect the new regulations to bring the grid closer to each other and promote better racing. To make the new cars under the regulations, the 2022 cars would be heavier than the previous season.
However, it does not convince the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton that going heavier is the way to go for next season. The Mercedes driver mentioned he does not understand why the sport needs heavier cars. He revealed that the cars when he first joined in were light and nimble.
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I don’t understand why we’re going heavier: Lewis Hamilton
As reported by Motorsport, the 2022 cars would be minimum of 795kg, which is almost 100kgs more than the 2014 cars. In the 2014 season, the sport switched to Turbo-Hybrid V6 engines, which were heavier than the V8s that the teams previously used. This massive regulation change not only made the cars heavier but also made them wider, further making it almost impossible for the drivers to overtake at some of the most celebrated F1 tracks such as Circuit de Monaco.
“I don’t understand why we’re going heavier. I don’t understand particularly why we go heavier when there’s all this talk about being more sustainable–just as the sport is going in that direction,” said Lewis.
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via Reuters
Formula One F1- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – December 5, 2021, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is seen as the session is temporarily stopped Pool via REUTERS/Andrej Isakovic
“By going heavier and heavier and heavier, you’re using more and more energy. So that feels that’s not necessarily in the right direction or in the thought process. The lighter cars were more nimble, were nowhere near as big, naturally, and so racing, maneuvering the car, was better,” Hamilton added.
READ MORE: How Big Is the F1 Fuel Tank?
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The new regulations were primarily put in place so that the 2022 cars would generate more downforce and, at the same time, less dirt air, promoting better wheel-to-wheel racing. Considering this, many fans can not wait to witness the new 2022 cars battle each other for the first time on 20th March at the 2022 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
What do you think of the new regulations? Do you agree with the 7-time World Champion? Let us know in the comments below.
