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“There still seems to be some dirty air produced”: Aston Martin star is not hopeful of the 2022 F1 regulations bringing the field closer while racing

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"There still seems to be some dirty air produced": Aston Martin star is not hopeful of the 2022 F1 regulations bringing the field closer while racing

Niko Hulkenberg feels that the high cornering speeds of the 2022 F1 cars will make it difficult for other cars to follow them. 

Ahead of the 2022 season, teams are preparing for massive changes in regulations. These changes have been brought about to bring the field closer and to promote better racing action on the track.

The aerodynamic tweaks have been a major area of focus, and the newer cars are expected to produce a lot less ‘dirty air’, allowing drivers behind them to follow the car comfortably. However, Aston Martin’s reserve driver Hulkenberg is not very optimistic about these changes.

Hulkenberg has not landed a full-time seat in the sport since 2019 when he drove for Renault. He took part in three races for Racing Point in 2020, filling in for Sergio Perez twice and Lance Stroll once, due to the two of them testing positive for Covid 19.

Since then, he’s acted as a reserve and development driver for the Silverstone based outfit. The 34-year retained his role in the team even after they rebranded into Aston Martin ahead of 2021.

Hulkenberg has spent a lot of time on the simulator, helping his teammates prepare for the 2022 season. Doing so, the German driver has noted that the cars don’t feel very different to the previous ones, which is concerning according to him.

Also read: Lewis Hamilton does a trick that allows him better launch against other drivers

Driving the 2022 F1 cars feels pretty much the same, says the Aston Martin reserve driver

The former Sauber driver went on to say that the cars are just as fast as their predecessors. They seem to produce a lot less downforce but are very fast around corners which he suspects will produce dirty air.

“From my initial experience, the new cars are pretty damn fast and not necessarily slower than the last generation,” said Hulkenberg. “The driving experience hasn’t changed that much either, at least in the simulator.”

“It will be very interesting to see whether these cars can really follow the car in front better. In the simulator, the cornering speeds are extremely high.”

“So the risk of ‘dirty air’ is still given and it’s difficult for me to imagine that following another car comfortably at these speeds will be easy.”

“Anyhow, I hope we will be positively surprised. Once pre-season testing starts drivers and teams will find out how the cars really behave on track,” he concluded.

Also read: Former Mercedes driver calls George Russell’s move to Silver Arrows a difficult decision as the risk is high

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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