Formula 1 has become a lot faster in the hybrid era

The lap times driven in the winter test are often not representative to compare the teams, but the figures can be used well in another way.

It is no secret that cars in Formula 1 are getting faster and faster. After all, every year we see records being broken on circuits, even times that were set in older eras and were considered almost unbeatable.

This trend also becomes very clear when we look at the fastest laps that have been driven during the winter tests in the last ten years. Times may not be a good indicator, but we can tell how fast Formula 1 has become over the years.

Whereas Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren managed to set the fastest time of 1:20.472 on the Circuit de Catalunya in 2010, Valtteri Bottas has gone over it quite a bit this year. The Finn set a time of 1:15.732, almost five seconds faster. Looking at the first winter test of the hybrid era at Barcelona, the sport has even become seven seconds faster.

That will take some getting used to next year with the new regulations.

This article was written by Ralph Beentjes and originated on GPBlog.com/nl