F1 to usher in 'a new era' at the British GP

British Grand Prix

F1 to usher in 'a new era' at the British GP

Formula 1 will race under radically changed regulations next year

Sam Hall

Monday 12 July 2021 18:00 Updated: 18:43

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Formula 1 has announced it is set to usher in "a new era" of the sport at the British Grand Prix.

Next year, F1 will race under radical new aerodynamic regulations that it is hoped will allow for closer, more exciting racing.

In a presentation taking place on YouTube, fans will get their first glance at a full-size model of a 2022 car with an 'expert panel' to explain the concept behind the new regulations and why these will produce the expected results.

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Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton is yet to be fully sold on the changes, however, saying recently: "I don’t understand why we go heavier when there’s all this talk about being more sustainable.

“Going heavier and heavier you’re using more and more energy, so that’s not necessarily in the right direction.

“As we get heavier and heavier, that’s more energy we’ve got to dissipate, bigger brakes, more brake ducts, more fuel to get you to the location, so I don’t really understand it.”

F1 to go sprint racing!

The reveal of the 2022 car goes hand in hand with the first trial of a new sprint qualifying system, with a 100km race taking place on Saturday afternoon to set Sunday's grid.

For the Saturday sprint, the grid will be decided by a regular three-part qualifying session on Friday evening, although F1 managing director Ross Brawn confirmed the sport will do away with the Q2 tyre rules to level the playing field.

"They are all qualifying on soft tyres," he said. "They can all go into the sprint with whatever tyres they want and they can all go into the race with whatever tyres they want.

"So, there is none of this 'I am going to get through Q2 on a medium tyre because I want to have that for the race'.

"Then you get a situation for the race where the top teams are able to run medium tyres because they are able to get through Q2 with it but the slower teams have to get through Q2 with the soft, have to start the race on the soft etcetera, so none of that complication.

"In some ways, it is more straightforward but it will have implications for the race because of the way the race weekend will evolve."