Are the F1s more successful in keeping up with each other?

This is one of the reasons which led the FIA ​​to initiate the current regulatory change in F1 : allow drivers to follow each other in order to improve the spectacle on the track. Until then, the process was made difficult because of the dirty air released by these single-seaters in the slipstream, which resulted in the car following losing a huge amount of downforce. Last year, F1 even published forecast figures supposed to measure the loss of downforce of single-seaters in the slipstream. In 2021, twenty meters behind another car, a car lost around 35% in the wake, and even 46% at ten meters. The 2022 forecasts expect a loss of only 4% at 20 meters, and 18% at 10 meters. 

“I feel like following each other is a little easier”

So, did these three days of testing corroborate these theoretical figures? “I think it has improved, explained George Russell. But on the other hand, the vacuuming process has been reduced. So it's difficult to say, because getting sucked in is obviously very important for overtaking in a straight line. We'll have to wait and see. I got behind Lando Norris, but I couldn't get through it. » On the side of the world champion Max Verstappen, the results of these first three days on this aspect are rather positive. “I feel like following each other is a little easier. In any case, I didn't feel this strange sudden loss of support in the slipstream or this understeer to which we were accustomed. Of course, I didn't expect it to be completely gone, but it's getting better.".

Following each other seems to be easier this year. © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

Charles Leclerc went into more detail: “It's strange because between 3 and 1 second behind a car, you can follow closer, then from one second to five tenths, I feel the same thing as last year, then from five tenths to very close, it's much better ! I'll need to do more laps, but it's not looking bad. » These first words are necessarily encouraging, which will have to be confirmed when everyone is really looking for performance. 

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