Fantastic Ferrari! Leclerc and Sainz, Jr. lead the way in Bahrain, sustaining Ferrari’s impressive test results. Credit the Prancing Horse and the impact of new regulations.
The eagerly anticipated 2022 Formula One season started in Bahrain last weekend as the sport looked to move on from the controversial end to the 2021 season. The technical regulation changes have been long-planned to improve the on-track racing between cars by allowing them to follow each other closer and enabling more overtaking and on-track battles.
Previously the aerodynamics of Formula One cars generated what was known as a flow of ‘dirty air’ that prevented the car behind from being able to get close enough to attempt an overtaking maneuver. Also, when a driver was able to get close to the car in front, it would start to significantly affect their tires so that they degraded, and it would also affect the car’s handling.
The new regulations for 2022 Formula One cars have reintroduced the use of ground effects and simplified the car bodywork, making the underside of the car the primary source of aerodynamic grip, intending to reduce the flow of ‘dirty air. As such, it allows for closer wheel-to-wheel battles between drivers.
There have been numerous attempts to resolve the issue of F1 cars not being able to follow closely and overtake in the past. But none of those efforts have had a significant effect. The Bahrain Grand Prix was the first big test of the new car designs to see if the changes had any impact.
Now, though, the changes have made better racing. In Bahrain, numerous close-on-track battles resulted in successful overtaking. This was best evidenced by the brilliant four-lap battle for the lead between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen after the first round of pit stops. After Verstappen in 2nd place had changed tires a lap earlier than race leader Leclerc, the Ferrari driver emerged from the pit lane with a much-reduced lead which left him immediately vulnerable to an attack from Verstappen.
For the following four laps, there was a tremendous to-and-fro battle ensued between the two drivers. Max Verstappen took the lead down the main straight into turn 1. Then, with the benefit of the new regulations, Leclerc kept close to the rear of the Red Bull car. He re-took the lead into turn four following the next DRS zone. This was the perfect example of how a car could closely follow another to launch an overtaking move. The overtaken car was able to stay close enough to launch a counterattack and re-take the lead shortly afterward.
It is still very early days in the new era of Formula One, But, so far, it is a big tick in the box for the changes made.
As with any major change in sport, there are always winners and losers. The big winner so far is Ferrari. Following two massively disappointing seasons battling in the midfield, the Scuderia is back on top. After consistently topping the timesheets during testing, Ferrari backed this up in Bahrain with pole position for Charles Leclerc. A 1-2 race finish with Leclerc winning 2nd place for his teammate Carlos Sainz, Jr.
Despite the disappointment of a double retirement in Bahrain, Red Bull again looks to be the team to beat. Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez qualified in the top four and were set for comfortable 2nd and 4th place finishes before their late reliability issues. Haas is another big winner from the new car regulations. After two years at the back of the grid, Haas had a superb Bahrain weekend. With the returning Kevin Magnussen qualifying a magnificent 7th and finishing in a fabulous 5th place. Mick Schumacher narrowly missed out on his first-ever career points finish in 11th, but his first F1 points won’t be far away if the team maintains their current performance.
Mercedes are the biggest losers so far in the new F1 era. After dominating the past eight seasons, the Silver Arrows are behind the leading Ferrari and Red Bull pace as they face multiple issues with their new car.
Another concern for Mercedes in Bahrain is that the bottom six finishing places were filled with their customer teams in McLaren, Aston Martin, and Williams. This is partly due to the Bahrain circuit layout and won’t be the case at all circuits, but for an engine supplier that has been at the top of the timesheets for the majority of the past eight seasons. This will be an unwanted record to have.
Overall, the most significant success of the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix for Formula One is that it launches a new era of the sport. If nothing else, the lesson learned from 2021 is that Formula One needs clean and fair on-track action without off-track politics and controversy.
