The Bahrain Grand Prix was the first real world test for the all-new look for Formula One in 2022, and it was a success, the managing director of Formula One, as well as the man behind the 2022 F1 regulations, Ross Brawn, said to Sky Sports.
A fantastic first race for the 2022 Formula 1 season saw Charles Leclerc win his first Grand Prix since 2019, as well as Ferrari's first 1-2 finish since that same year with Carlos Sainz finishing second. But it wasn't easy sailing for Leclerc, as reigning World Champion Max Verstappen swapped the lead with him on multiple occassions in a battle between the two.
This battle was close, unpredictable, and exciting. Everything that the new-for-2022 regulations touted itself to be. According to the man that came up with the regulations, Ross Brawn, it was a success. "We are delighted. It is the first race and we need to be careful but all the signs are positive. The ability to race each other has improved. We have always in the past focussed on safety, cost and performance but now we should focus on raceability." He spoke to Sky.
"Luckily, not too many surprises. You can have big performance differences with new regulations but with the changes we made with restrictions in some places it feels quite close. There are a few teams, that got it wrong. They will come back quick."
Brawn on Ferrari
As the former technical director for Ferrari, it ust be heartwarming for Brawn to see his old team back at the top. When asked about the pecking-order, Brawn said; "At the front, we have three strong teams. They [Ferrari] aren't far ahead and I am sure Red Bull will find a few tenths and Mercedes will sort themselves out."