Why the Bahrain Grand Prix will be the most unpredictable race of the final years of Formula 1

Formula 1 faces a new era with the launch of technical regulations that changed the aerodynamic appearance of cars by 80%, and the return of ground effects after 40 years. Since 2019, when changes were announced due to radical modifications, the efforts of the team have become difficult. This weekend it could be a lottery at the beginning of the season, and even Lewis Hamilton warned that since 2014 the reference team Mercedes is not ready to fight for victory.

Expectations were higher because every time F1 released a technical regulation, it represented a rebirth for everyone. This championship began a few years ago when the first digital concept was created and the future arrived. Those who squeeze the norm the most and who have already reached or exceeded the limit can take a step ahead.

Eight years ago, when Máxima underwent another radical change with the beginning of the hybrid era, it was an electric motor and a different combustion engine, something unprecedented in its category. The best development of this technique was Mercedes, and Hamilton, together with the German team, was able to win six of the seven crowns. Last year, beyond the dedication of Max Verstappen in the pilot title, he won the title of the eighth constructor.To open the game, the company responsible for the Formula One Management (FOM) and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) category has developed this new regulation that will allow us to see the new car.

With the addition of new 18-inch tires to replace 13-inch tires, most of the aerodynamic attachments have disappeared and the car looked cleaner in terms of aesthetics.This reduces the overheating of the rubber and increases the grip on the track, thereby improving the performance of the car, changing the strategy of the pit stop.

Although the Hamilton-Verstafen duel attracted attention and offered constant fights until the last lap of 2021, the goal was to make the race more fun in terms of fighting for tips.There could not be only two or four drivers who had the chance to win. For this, it was necessary to implement alternatives such as the return of the ground effect, a system that allowed the car to move closer to the floor, speed up in corners and facilitate overtaking.

However, only three teams — Ferrari, Williams, and McLaren — are aware of this system, which was operated by completely different cars by the end of 1982. Currently, Neil Oatley, based in McLaren, worked for Williams and few engineers at the time, such as Neil Oatley, who was a track engineer for Carlos Alberto Reutman, had hundreds of hours of simulation in the wind tunnel, but Montmeló's first test for the car was The recoil effect was detected and was evident in the long main straight.This is due to the passage of air under the chassis It was created by a small space left in order.

It was a paradigm break because of the millions of dollars that F1 manages. Starting this season, apart from the salaries of drivers and leading engineers, it is $142.4 million per year per team.Digital tools developed in workshops similar to NASA bases could not oppose a system that changed the air intake, and the focus during this time was that the car had as little turbulence as possible.

In this way, to achieve a better airflow, a lot of work has been done on the pontoon, the side part where the pilot is located.However, as each team presented a solution, this is a shuffle and gives it again.Argentina “We need to know who will be the fastest in Bahrain qualifiers and races,” he said. Engineer Enrique Scalabroni spoke to Infobar. The technician I have worked for Williams, Ferrari, and Lotus.

With the innovation of each vehicle, each car wanted to know what the other vehicles had. The photo of Hamilton watching the Red Bull in Barcelona, home of the first rehearsal, went viral, and Sebastian Betel (Aston Martin) looked at Mercedes in Bahrain. “Why is the pontoon of this pontoon more undulating? Or why do I have very few pontoons?” They were rich questions and the answers were nothing more than the trial and error of each squad whose cars would change their geography during the year.

According to the time seen in the last tests in Bahrain, due to this development and the way in which the category is recreated, the current car is 3 seconds slower than last year.On the same track, Verstappen set the best qualifying time with 1m28s997 in 2021 and equipped 1m31s720 with very soft tires that best hold asphalt and provide better traction and speed in the 2022 test.

But what is surprising is that Mick Schumacher, who was equipped with a Haas F1 team car, won the second best time with a 1m32s241 (soft tire), and his new partner Kevin Magnusen took 10th place at 1m33s207 (the same compound). His team took another hour on Friday afternoon and two more hours on Saturday afternoons to make up for not arriving on time for the tour on Thursday morning.However, both of them were in better condition. It belongs to one of the two teams with the lowest budget, and Ukraine in Russia Considering that the invasion left the most important sponsors offered by Mazepins, the future of the American team is unknown.

And Hamilton? He had to be found in 16th place (1m34s141). “At the moment, I don't think we're competing for victory. Obviously, next week we will have a better presentation... But people will probably be surprised. ” It is worth remembering that English generally praises the performance of a rival who opens an umbrella in these cases, moves pressure and fights psychological battles.His new partner, George Russell, was the fifth (1m32s759). So what would be the reality of the German team? Is Mercedes or Hamilton hiding something?

The Red Bull with RB18 revolutionized its predecessor with a large cut under the pontoon. “They take the air from the wing and cool it, and the rest of the flow enhances the ground effect, they have gone really far”, says another Argentine engineer Sergio Rinland, in a conversation with this medium. The details were analyzed in Barcelona among the cars released, which was the first time that all teams were on track together in 2022.

Ferrari achieved the third fastest time with Charles Leclerc (1m32s241) and the engine has improved, but everything is too early for the typhoon to get excited about fighting for victory again.

The person who looks crouched is McLaren. McLaren has recovered economically in recent seasons, the return of Mercedes engines has improved its quality, won the third place in the Constructors' World Championship in 2020, and Daniel Ricciardo, who won the Italian Monza in 2021, returned to victory.

Finally, the main problems that will occur in new cars at race pace and across multiple laps. One thing is testing, and the other is a real competition that shows what the real performance degradation of new tires is and how drivers cope with the rebound of the car during the many laps that need to be corrected by engineers.

In recent years, F1 has become a chess game. It is because a good strategy is worth winning and this weekend will be the first game. Radio messages in which some suggest a wrong problem or a hasty change of pit to embarrass rivals are already common.For the first time in 8 years, there is no favorite thing to start in Bahrain. With the new regulations that drivers adapt to cars, the photo shows that everyone has kept the best cards for the right move without showing what they have.

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