Formula 1 2022 F1 car unveil

F1 2022 cars won't bring better racing overnight - FIA

Formula 1 fans have been warned not to expect the new 2022 cars to bring an "overnight" delivery of close racing when they are first unleashed.

Jonathan Noble

Jonathan Noble

Edited: Jul 16, 2021, 8:25 AM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

2022 F1 car

F1 is introducing a major rules revamp for next year, and a full-sized concept version of what a 2022 car could look like was revealed ahead of the British Grand Prix.

But although the ground effect concept has been created with the idea of improving the spectacle, the FIA's head of single-seater matters Nikolas Tombazis is cautious about expecting too much too soon.

"We expect to see closer racing, but maybe not from the very first race because maybe somebody will get the new rules right and somebody wrong," he said. "But very soon we expect to see a closer level of competitiveness between the cars, and cars being able to follow each other more closely."

Read Also:

With F1 and the FIA having devoted a lot of resources to ensuring the new rules deliver better cars, Tombazis is also clear that the governing body will react if teams head in design directions that were not originally intended.

"It [better racing] won't happen overnight," he explained. "We will obviously study what solutions the teams produce, and we will keep working at it, to improve.

"But we believe over time the racing will improve sizeably."

Tombazis also pointed out that the aim of the new regulations was not to necessarily increase overtaking, but simply to allow cars to follow each more closely.

"It's not so much actual overtaking, but how close they race," he said. "So being able to follow each other, fight each other throughout the race. So that's what we've been trying to do, mainly acting on the aerodynamics.

2022 F1 car

2022 F1 car

Photo by: Formula 1

F1 managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn was hopeful that the change of rules for 2022 would mark the start of an exciting new chapter for F1.

"This is the start of a new journey, a new philosophy, a new culture, where the raceability of these cars is going to be vital to the future of F1," he said. "And why do we do that? We do that because we want to entertain the fans, we want to engage the fans and we want new fans to come into the sport.

"This is a unique new chapter in our sport. And these regulations have evolved to make F1 the absolute greatest racing spectacle, and to push our sport to the very forefront of global culture and entertainment."

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Ricciardo clarifies "shit" F1 2022 launch car remarks

Next article Vettel: Giving F1 sprint winners official pole stat is "wrong"

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Jonathan Noble



Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours

Formula 1

Formula 1

Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours



The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season

Formula 1

Formula 1

The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season



Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress

Formula 1

Formula 1

Australian GP

Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress

Latest news



Tom Cruise interested in racing ARCA car, per NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Charlotte II

2 h

Tom Cruise interested in racing ARCA car, per NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell



Gibbs, Spire and Gabehart argue over contempt and injunction

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Charlotte II

5 h

Gibbs, Spire and Gabehart argue over contempt and injunction



William Byron to run Jeff Gordon throwback Axalta scheme at Phoenix

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Charlotte II

5 h

William Byron to run Jeff Gordon throwback Axalta scheme at Phoenix



Alexander Rossi takes over IR-28 testing as IndyCar pushes new chassis to the limit at Sebring

IndyCar

Indy IndyCar 6 h

Alexander Rossi takes over IR-28 testing as IndyCar pushes new chassis to the limit at Sebring

Feature

Discover prime content



Why Mercedes' latest 2026 F1 update is no downgrade

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Why Mercedes' latest 2026 F1 update is no downgrade



'Senior moment' or breakdown of trust? The implications of Hamilton's Singapore GP meltdown

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Stuart Codling

'Senior moment' or breakdown of trust? The implications of Hamilton's Singapore GP meltdown



What we learned from the 2026 F1 Singapore GP sprint and qualifying

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

What we learned from the 2026 F1 Singapore GP sprint and qualifying



How Honda plans a return to being an F1 powerhouse

Formula 1

By Ronald Vording

How Honda plans a return to being an F1 powerhouse

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe