When the 2022 regulations were drafted Adrian Newey was openly critical of the technical changes, but after the first full season his opinion seems to have changed.
“When I first read the rules two years ago, I was really frustrated.” Newey said, “They looked extremely restrictive.”
“I have to admit that I changed my mind working on these cars… there are also areas with a surprising amount of freedom” he added, “The different sidepod shapes are also easy for fans to distinguish. That’s a good thing.”
Newey has been a part of eight major rule reforms in his almost 40 years tenure in the sport since his debut in 1980 with the Fittipaldi Formula One Team. He believes that the 2022 regulations are the biggest shake up since 1983 -“It’s more exciting because the cars are so new.”
Though Newey also believes that the rules have brought positive change, improving the racing and overtaking abilities of the next generation of cars – ” In the beginning…there were two teams at the same level, and towards the end of the season Mercedes was getting stronger.” Newey said, “I was expecting bigger gaps.”
Despite Red Bull’s dominant performance, taking 17 of the 22 wins, the data between the front and back of the grid shows the extent of the changes. The time intervals between cars have shrunk significantly both in the race and qualifying sessions. Q1 times in Bahrain showed a gap of 2.2s from Leclerc in P1 to Latifi in p20, this gap remained relatively stable throughout the season and demonstrated the regulations intended purpose, even with the car evolution and upgrades taken into account across the 22 race calendar.
Newey stressed the importance of harmony within a car, “A Ferrari sidepod will not fit our underbody and vicer versa. There is always an interaction between these elements.”
He was “surprised” by Mercedes’ unorthodox take on the regulations, not believing that others will look to them for guidance. “Its difficult to judge from the outside”, Newey said, “everyone will only reach for the copying pen when the concept suddenly becomes a lasting success.”
With the RB18 officially being Adrian Newey’s most successful car design to date, Red Bull are not looking to experiment any time soon – “We will continue to develop our concept because we know its the best.”
“It is quite possible that someone else with a better idea is around the corner.” Newey is conscious of the flexibility within certain areas of the 2022 regulations, not doubting that better prospects are out there – “None of us yet know where we will end up when developing our own concepts”.