Fernando Alonso thinks Romain Grosjean’s fireball crash is one of the reasons for this year’s much heavier cars.
Following the technical regulations, the cars in the 2022 season are 60 kilograms heavier than the cars in the previous season. Fernando Alonso thinks that one of the reasons for heavy cars is Romain Grosjean’s deadly accident in 2020.
The new technical regulations called for a revision of the bodywork following which the new F1 cars look too different and advanced from their previous versions.
Alonso has praised the safety advances done in the new cars following Grosjean’s horrible accident in 2020. The Spanish driver also thinks that the heavier cars give a “slow-motion” feel on the TV.
We’re back in Jeddah, reminiscing on one of the more races of 2021. Bring on 2022. #SaudiArabianGP @oconesteban @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/zNH8sHFlIU
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“The cars are 60 kilograms heavier. So, instead of putting 100 kilograms for the race, you put 160 kilograms so everything will feel like slow motion, maybe on TV as well,” said the Spaniard.
“We did an exhibition with the R25 in Abu Dhabi three years ago and that car is 200 kilograms lighter. On TV it felt very reactive and very sharp. I guess the heavier the cars are, the less feeling on TV of the speed you get.”
“That’s a consequence of these cars but at the same time, they are very safe. The cockpit area has been reinforced a lot after the Grosjean accident here in Bahrain.”
Also Read: Fernando Alonso on Abu Dhabi GP 2021 FIA report
Fernando Alonso is not completely satisfied with the new regulations
Apart from the changes in bodywork, the new regulations have also brought changes to the fuel used in the F1 car. The new fuel has 10 per cent ethanol.
Alonso believes it will not take long for either drivers or fans to get used to the new cars. He praised the new fuel saying that the engines are a little more sustainable with the fuel.
He said, “It is the same for everybody and I think it’s just a matter of getting used to it. Maybe after eight or nine months, you won’t remember the last generation of cars.”
However, he is not completely satisfied with the new machines. It was being speculated that the new regulations will allow closer racing with the help of simpler aerodynamics. Pirelli also introduced a new 18-inch tyre which would improve durability and be less prone to overheating.
Alonso finished ninth in Bahrain but he pointed out that the tyres still remain a big differentiation and not the aerodynamics. “I think the tire is the biggest differentiating factor still, not the following. So, we need to see, we need to drive more races,” he stated.
“I think all the overtaking we saw today was because one car had two seconds more pace on newer tires than others.”
“I met cars that I was two seconds faster [than] and I overtook in a few corners. And I also met cars that were two seconds faster than me and they overtook me in two or three corners,” he further added.
He further pointed out that while following was definitely easier, overtaking is still not as easy as it seems on the TV.
