Formula One releases new images of 2022 specification car

As the battle for the 2021 Formula One title reaches a pivotal stage, Formula One has released images of the new design of car that is aimed at setting the trend for closer racing from next year and beyond.

Computer generated images were initially released in 2019. But plans for the next generation of F1 racing were put on hold for 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world at large.

Now, with a comprehensive set of rules and regulations aiming to further level the playing field for the 2022 season, the specification with which teams will have to work to has been made even more visible.

“It feels like a very long time ago the FIA officially unveiled the regulations for the future of the sport, but after the one-year delay due to the pandemic it’s only 170 days to go until the start of 2022 when we will see the next generation of Formula 1 cars take to the track,” commented Ross Brawn, Managing Director of Motorsport at Formula 1.

“There is huge excitement ahead of this new era, and while 2021 has been a great battle we still have cars struggling to follow each other during the race. The regulations for 2022 will address this problem and create an opportunity for closer battles and more wheel-to-wheel racing.

“The combined effect of the new aerodynamic regulations and financial rules, in the form of the cost cap, will create the conditions for a more balanced championship and for the gaps across the grid to close.”

As covered by Motorsport Technology before the pandemic took hold, the new regulations are primarily focused at providing closer wheel-to-wheel racing to entertain fans of the sport for years to come, with a budget cap aimed at narrowing the gap between the front of the grid and those at the back.

The new budget cap has been set at $175 million and the technical regulations seek to make the new machines less aerodynamically complicated and further aid overtaking by reducing the effect of ‘dirty air’ compromising a following car.

“2022 will herald a new era for the FIA Formula One World Championship, with the introduction of one of the biggest changes in regulations in the history of the sport,” added Nikolas Tombazis, Single-Seater Technical Director, FIA.

“The FIA has led a superb collaborative effort with Formula 1 and the teams to identify the areas we feel will have the biggest impact on the ability of the cars to race each other closely on the track, and in combination with the Financial Regulations that are already in place, these new Technical Regulations should have a great positive impact on the spectacle but also on the sustainability of our Sport.”