The new Formula One era is set to be bigger and better than ever with the series’ popularity continuing to grow as a result of the media presence and a new level of engagement from the millions of. After the schedule for the last two Formula 1 championships was affected by the evolving pandemic, the hope is for this year to take place according to the initial calendar.
For now, the long-awaited February has come which has given us the first chance to see the new cars. Except for the presentation of the “plastic” by Red Bull, Haas, McLaren and above all Aston Martin which also carried out a shake down marked by more detailed videos and photos, they showed that the prevailing fear relating to an aesthetically shaped F1 has been decidedly removed. Instead, we observed very different single-seaters that present peculiar and sometimes surprising aerodynamic solutions.
New cars, which meet new regulations and which must meet specific needs. A distorted context that will also profoundly change the driving style of the steering wheel professionals. Those who show greater adaptability will benefit. Let’s take 2021 for example. Carlos Sainz joined Scuderia Ferrari and was immediately able to adapt to the Maranello team. After just a few races, the Spanish driver matched and at times even surpassed the performances of his teammate Charles Leclerc. On the other hand Daniel Ricciardo moved to McLaren with a hefty signing that suggested he would take the stage within the team. This was not the case. But why is that?
The question is simple, the answers a little less. In summary, it is possible to believe that the difference was made by experience. Not the generic one because on this front the Australian has a lot, but the specific one in the team, with a car that had very unique driving characteristics.
For the MCL35M to be “tamed”, it required a very particular approach in corner entry at low and medium speed where a significant combination of braking and steering was required. Features that Lando Norris already handled knowing the previous model and that Daniel Riccardo struggled to learn coming from a very different technical context.
Spirit of adaptation. This is the concept that will make the difference in Formula 1 especially now given the major rule changes for the 2022 championship. Whoever has it will get the key to open a gate which provides the path to performance. This is what Lando Norris explained yesterday on the sidelines of the presentation of the MCL36. The British driver, who has just renewed his contract with the Woking team, reported that he spent a lot of time driving on the simulator facing different styles to be ready to adapt to less usual situations than those encountered until a few months ago.
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Also given the age, the ability to adapt was one of the virtuous points for Lando Norris. A distinctive feature of the new generation of drivers who, due to stringent rules, can test the material less and less on the track. They must therefore rely on simulators and instinct. Here a professional with more experience on the rump like Daniel Ricciardo encountered greater obstacles in unraveling his talent that cannot be questioned.
With just six days of pre-season testing, each Formula 1 driver will have only three full sessions of work. Provided that youth problems do not afflict newly designed single-seaters. Therefore more sensitive to technical failures. There will be very little time to understand if the home study will be enough to master ground-effect aerodynamics, 18-inch Pirelli tyres, larger brakes in the diameters of the discs and an increase in the weight of the entire car body.
Those who adapt first will accumulate a great advantage over other drivers who will not immediately be able to adapt to the the new rules. Potentially, you can make a bigger difference than in previous years if you quickly understand how to drive the car.
An adaptation that will have to be constant as the cars that will run first in Spain and then in Bahrain will be development bases that will see many updates arrive during the year. And some of these will be the result of the indications that the drivers themselves will offer.
So a sudden understanding of the car could push the engineers to meet the driving desires. Which risks significantly widening the gap between teammates. For this reason, nothing should be taken for granted. The balance of power in Formula 1 could drastically change from team to team. But they could also change between drivers. Those who dominated with breathtaking performances until last year could run into unexpected difficulties. 2022 could really be the year of surprises.
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