Prost sceptical: "I don't think the hierarchy is going to be totally different"

The year 2022 will be very interesting, as new regulations will be introduced then. All this with the aim of bringing the teams closer together and making the sport even more exciting. Whether this goal will be achieved remains to be seen. Four-time F1-champion Alain Prost, however, is somewhat sceptical.

Teams remain strong

The rules have been changed several times in Formula 1's history and this has also had the effect of giving other teams a chance to win the championship. That is now also the goal for 2022 and beyond, but Prost now wonders if it will really deliver what is hoped for. He expects the current top teams to remain in the lead, even though everything will be closer together.

Prost says: "I am always a bit sceptical because I want to see it with my own eyes first. With less time to work on the cars and with stricter rules, I think it could be the case. But we don't know if these new rules will allow things to happen. They are so strict that it is going to be difficult to discover new inventions like we saw in the 80s and 90s," the Frenchman told Le Figaro.

He continues: "I don't think the hierarchy is going to be totally different either, but the differences between the teams are probably going to get smaller." The differences are already small - based on the first race - and that may become even smaller in 2022. That means better competition by definition but, listening to Prost, he reckons Mercedes and Red Bull will always have that little bit extra, which will have no direct impact on the hierarchy.