Mercedes talks about problems on straights: "Then you can hardly overtake"

The arrival of the new regulations is causing many changes in Formula 1. The teams have developed completely different cars and have a lot to learn during the test days in Barcelona. Ferrari's Mattia Binotto and Mercedes engineer Andrew Shovlin talk more about the problems the teams are experiencing on the straights.

The new rules should make it easier for drivers to follow each other around the track, and also make overtaking easier. However, a major problem seems to occur on the straights. Because the airflow is held under the car, the cars bounce on the straights.

"I think all teams underestimated the commuting and touchdown on the straights. I think solving the problem is not that difficult. However, not losing performance and keeping the aerodynamics efficient is the tricky part:, Ferrari team boss Binotto says during the press conference in Barcelona, as quoted by Auto, Motor und Sport. 

Still problems with overtaking?

The construction of the cars seems to be a problem. Chief engineer of Mercedes, Shovlin, brings up another point. "It hardly occurs in the slipstream. It's especially bad when the car is swaying and completely in the wind. Then you can hardly overtake. It would be a shame if the goal of making overtaking easier were not achieved in this way."

We will only find out during the Bahrain Grand Prix whether overtaking has actually become easier. During the test days, the teams are busy with their own program, and not racing against other drivers on the track.