2021 saw a stellar F1 season. Now the calendar has turned a new page and with 2022 come new regulations. They were aimed to make racing in F1 even more enticing and have more on-track battles. They have also shaken up the hierarchy of the paddock.

Safe to say that they have fulfilled all that they set out to achieve. Even Mercedes boss Toto Wolff shares the same sentiment.

Wolff-A job well done

The people behind the 2022 regulation change have delivered what they had set out to deliver. So far the season has seen a completely new rankings in the paddock. It has seen 2 enthralling races, in Bahrain and Jeddah, which are perhaps tasters for the season to come.

Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, also agreed, “They deliver what their makers had set themselves… We saw two spectacular races, overtaking maneuvers, a starting lineup that was mixed up, an extremely narrow midfield,”

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He also added how would have liked to be at the front, which at the moment is between Red Bull and Ferrari. The two have dominated proceedings while Mercedes have struggled in the midfield.

With the next race in Australia, Mercedes would be hoping to gain some ground on their rivals and quickly join them at the front.

Overtakes and more Overtakes

This season has seen an increase in the number of overtakes we had seen in the past year. In 2021, the Bahrain GP saw 58. This year saw the number rise to 67. The second race in Jeddah saw double the overtakes from last year, excluding the 2 restart laps, with 36.

The drivers all shared their take on how racing had improved this season. Charles Leclerc said, “If you follow another car, your car’s reaction has become much more predictable.”

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The drivers agree that following has also become easier because the tires don’t overheat as quickly and the car doesn’t lose much downforce. Max Verstappen added a further observation of his, that only the harder compounds behave in that manner. However, there is a mutual consensus that DRS is still required to aid them in overtaking.