Races
The New Age
Photographs: Callo Albanese
The 2022 season was always going to be a leap into the unknown. The new regulations wiped the slate clean and technically removed any competitive advantage being carried over by the best teams from last season.
That was the theory anyway. In truth, the only way to assess the capabilities of the new Ferrari F1-75 car was through racing and, after two rounds of the 2022 World Championship, the Scuderia sit at the top of the Constructor standings, (clear by 40 points) while their two drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, are one and two respectively in the Driver standings.
The F1-75 gave Scuderia Ferrari's 2022 season the best possible start, with the team recording their 85th one-two finish in Formula 1
The F1-75 marks a return to the nomenclature regularly used in the 1980s and ‘90s and up to the triumphant season of the year 2000. The number ‘75’ references, of course, the anniversary of the 125 S, the very first car carrying the name Enzo Ferrari, leaving the, now legendary, factory gates on March 12th, back in 1947.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are determination incarnate behind the wheel of the new F1-75
The Head of Chassis Area, Enrico Cardile, adds some detail: “The main changes are to the aerodynamics, since the ground-effect technology that was banned in the early 1980s is now back in the picture. The new regulations open the door to a different approach to how the cars generate downforce. The aim is to make the new cars less susceptible to the wake of the ones in front, mostly to encourage overtaking.”
Team Principal Mattia Binotto: "The F1-75 expresses the talent, the commitment and the passion of each and every one of us"
Although less radical, significant changes were also introduced to the 2022 power unit. “We had to revise all of the power unit’s components: some we improved still further, others are definitely innovated,” observes Enrico Gualtieri, Head of Power Unit. “We started with one main concept: to achieve the highest possible efficiency in the energy conversion process, from the fuel to the crankshaft. Furthermore, from this season onward, we have to use a new fuel called E10 - the 10 in its name stands for 10 per cent second-generation ethanol as well as 90 per cent traditional substances.”
After two races Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are one and two respectively in the Driver standings
The car has an overall weight of almost 800 kilos – at 795 kilos, compared to last season’s 752. This is in part because of its new, significantly larger, 18-inch tyres which are almost 20 kilos heavier. The new generation of tyres developed by Pirelli should reduce overheating, make for better close-quarter sparring, as well as last longer before they start to degrade or to wear.
Racing Director Laurent Mekies sets out the other novelties of this season: “First and foremost, we have a record 23 races. So it’s going to be a very intense season. The teams have less time to work on the cars and this meant we had to design the F1-75 as logically as possible because every minute will be more important than ever in 2022. The scene may be set for a very different balance of power. I also expect some sharp progress as the teams gradually learn to get the very best from the cars and pinpoint the direction in which they should be pushing development over the course of the season.”
Team Principal Binotto concludes: “We know expectations are high. We have 21 races ahead of us and there won’t be any excuses – just the clock to show how good we are. We know we can count on a very tight team and on Charles and Carlos who I think are the best pair of drivers in Formula One."