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F1 cars two seconds slower in 2022? Car is less easy to drive

F1 cars two seconds slower in 2022? "Car is less easy to drive"

07-06-2020 19:16 Last update: 08-06-2020 09:16
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GPblog.com

In 2022 we will probably see a slower Formula 1 than the next two seasons. That has everything to do with the fact that 18-inch tyres will be used from 2022 onwards. Mercedes thinks that two full seconds of speed will be lost.

Apart from the fact that the cars will be considerably slower from 2022 onwards due to the new regulations, the 18-inch tyres have even more disadvantages. "The tyre is heavier, has less grip and the car is less easy to drive", says James Allison. The technical director of the world champion is therefore not happy with the changes that will come into effect in two years time.

Allison doesn't hide his disappointment

"It is always a worse tire than the kind of tire we currently have on our cars." The current compounds are actually perfect. "The tyre allows the forces to be transferred to the road effectively, it is light, it acts as a good suspension element and thus gives the driver a good ride quality, it can absorb the forces well even at low pressure and thus provides more grip and so on," sums up the British top man.

Allison knows that Pirelli will do everything possible to compensate for these losses by using better technology. "It will still be a good race tyre. ...but it's not good by comparison." The main reason for choosing larger tires is because it looks spectacular.