We saw the first images of the wind tunnel model of the car for 2022 in 2019, when we still assumed that the new generation of cars would see the light of day in 2021. However, the corona virus threw a spanner in the works, but with a year delay, the royal class of motorsport will receive that makeover. What’s different about the cars? We take you point by point through the biggest changes.
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Car should promote close racing
This was the main goal when designing the new car. Overtaking in Formula 1 had become virtually impossible due to the ‘dirty air’ behind the cars. The current cars lose up to 47% of the downforce right behind their predecessor (less than 10 meters), with the car of 2022 that is only 18%.
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Adjustments around the wheels
The cars of 2022 are adorned (or marred, one can argue about taste) by winglets above the front wheels. In addition, wheel covers are returning to the sport for the first time since 2009. The winglets capture the air vortices created by the front wheels and direct them away from the rear wing, while the hubcaps prevent airflow from passing through the wheels, taking on a life of their own.
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New 18-inch wheels
How long has it been about 18-inch wheels in Formula 1? Next year it will be. Pirelli supplies the corresponding new tires, which should be less likely to overheat due to sliding on the asphalt. The narrower sidewalls of the tires also mean that the airflow is less disturbed.
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A big nose job
The front has been completely overhauled. The new front wing must also ensure that almost as much downforce is generated behind a direct predecessor as in free air. Where the current front wings direct the airflow well around the car and largely under the car, the new wings must ensure that airflow continues to closely follow the bodywork of the car.
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Ground effect is terug!
When the development of the new generation of Formula 1 cars started in 2017, it was soon agreed that the ground effect can promote close racing. The principle had been banned since the end of 1982 and now returns in a new capacity. With special air tunnels under the car, a low-pressure area is created under the car, so that the car is sucked against the asphalt.
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No more wing end plates
Not at the front and not at the back. Where the vertical parts of the front and rear wings were previously attached to the transverse elements at an angle of roughly 90 degrees, a curve is now clearly visible. This new design should ensure that the ‘dirty air’ that comes from the car, especially at the rear wing, is limited.
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Not everything is different
The engines used in 2022 are the same as those that were under the hood in 2021. However, more use will be made of standard parts for the fuel system and the FIA will install additional sensors to be able to monitor things better.
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New fuel
Formula 1 must become greener, in other words more sustainable. The next step will be taken in 2022. While this year’s fuel mixture still consists of 5.75% bioethanol, in 2022 this will already be 10%. The fuel is also called E10 fuel. ‘E’ for ‘ethanol’, ’10’ for the percentage.
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Cars are safer
Of course the new cars are safer. The horrifying accidents of, for example, Anthoine Hubert in Formula 2 – the Frenchman did not survive the crash – and that of Romain Grosjean in Bahrain have been used to learn lessons.
The chassis, including a longer nose, must absorb 48% more energy at the front in the event of a crash and 15% at the rear. Following Grosjean’s crash, they looked at how the engine could be safely separated from the chassis in the event of a heavy impact, without the fuel tank being able to come loose.
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Many simulations preceded the introduction
Formula 1 has done about 7,500 simulations in total to get the car to where it is now. The enormous amount of data that has been collected is equivalent to the information that is processed in ten billion Facebook photos.
Those simulations took a total of 16.5 million hours. If those simulations had been performed by one laptop, that laptop would have been used continuously until the year 2492, or for 471 years. The car has been extensively tested (100 hours in total) in shielded sessions in Sauber’s wind tunnel in Switzerland. The teams themselves have already had the opportunity to test the study model on a regular basis through CFD programs and in the wind tunnels.
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Record calendar in Formula 1
Formula 1 will take us along 23 circuits with those new cars in 2022. Never before have so many Grands Prix been held in one season. Check out the full calendar below. It features one new event, the Miami Grand Prix!
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| No. | Grand Prize | date |
|---|---|---|
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1 |
Bahrain |
20th of March |
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2 |
Saudi Arabia |
27 March |
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3 |
Australia |
10 april |
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4 |
Emilia Romagna* |
24 april |
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5 |
United States (Miami)** |
may 8 |
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6 |
Spain* |
may 22 |
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7 |
Monaco |
may 29 |
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8 |
Azerbaijan |
June 12 |
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9 |
Canada |
June 19 |
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10 |
Britain |
3rd of July |
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11 |
Austria |
10th of July |
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12 |
France |
24th July |
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13 |
Hungary |
July 31 |
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14 |
Belgium |
28 augustus |
|
15 |
The Netherlands |
4 september |
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16 |
Italy |
11 september |
|
17 |
Russia |
25 september |
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18 |
Singapore* |
2 okotober |
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19 |
Japan |
9th October |
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20 |
United States (Austin)* |
23rd October |
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21 |
Mexico |
30th of October |
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22 |
Brazil |
13 november |
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23 |
Abu Dhabi |
20 november |
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Formula 1-2022: Ten things you should know about the new cars
The Formula 1 cars will look very different next year due to new technical regulations. RacingNews365 lists the most important changes to the future F1 cars for you.
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