Formula 1, Sportrik Media - McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has expressed serious concerns over drivers’ ability to overtake under Formula 1’s new regulations.
One of the main objectives behind the biggest rule change in F1 history was to improve racing and increase overtaking opportunities. The DRS system has now been removed and replaced by active aerodynamics on the front and rear wings, while a larger battery with 350kW of power from the MGU-K can be deployed to assist passing moves.
However, after three days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, several drivers indicated overtaking could be difficult. Stella supported that view and suggested adjustments may be required in the future.
“Unlike in the past, where we had the DRS and it created such an aerodynamic drag advantage for the following car, this year when you follow somebody, you have the same drag and the same power, so it becomes quite difficult to overtake,” said Stella.
“Our drivers raced with others during the three days of testing in Bahrain, and they found it extremely difficult to overtake.”
“The fact that you have an additional amount of energy when you follow and are within one second is difficult to exploit, because this extra energy may only mean a little more deployment at the end of the straight.”
“So I think, as an F1 community, we should look at what can be done to ensure we maintain sensible visibility when it comes to overtaking. Otherwise, we risk losing one of the fundamental elements of racing, which is giving drivers the possibility to pass.”
Despite his concerns about overtaking, Stella was satisfied with McLaren’s overall performance during testing. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri delivered competitive runs, although the true pecking order remained difficult to judge.
According to Stella, leading teams such as Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, and Mercedes appeared strong in both single-lap pace and race simulations.
“When it comes to the pecking order, it’s always very difficult in testing. If we consider the power unit, the car weight, they can move a lot of lap time, so it’s hard to compare,” Stella explained.
“What I’ve seen so far is that we can say Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes seem very well equipped. They look fast both in single-lap performance and in race simulations.”
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