Michael Schumacher in the new Formula 1?
"Would have been his thing"
Created: 05/12/2022Updated: 05/12/2022 11:46 am
By: Michael Haug
Formula 1 is entering a new era this season.
Sports director Ross Brawn is certain that Michael Schumacher would have loved the new Formula 1.
Munich – Formula 1 is more exciting than it has been for a long time.
The dominance of Mercedes, which was immense in the years 2014 to 2020, has ended.
Due to a major rule revolution before the season, the field of drivers has mixed up, with Red Bull and Ferrari now calling the shots.
The racing is more exciting again, the gaps are smaller, there are more overtaking manoeuvres.
How would Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher have experienced the new Formula 1?
Formula 1: The new rules for the 2022 season
First of all, what has actually changed?
There has been a cost cap since 2021, this season it was reduced from 145 million to 140 million US dollars per team.
Next year it will be reduced by another 5 million.
Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn explained to
Sport Bild
what this means for the small teams: “The more prize money that we give them through better results, they can suddenly invest more and catch up in the so-called budget cap, while the big ones already are at the limit.”
The tires are much wider this season.
18-inch tires are used instead of 13-inches.
The new tires combined with the revised engine mean that the racing cars are significantly heavier.
A minimum weight of 800 kilograms was set.
The aerodynamics have been simplified to make overtaking maneuvers easier, for example the new rear wing is much smaller and less efficient.
As a result, the cars are also a bit slower than last year.
“The car driving behind used to lose at least 40 percent downforce and wasn’t able to get close to the car to be overtaken.
One of the main tasks was to change the aerodynamics so that you can overtake better and more safely,” explains Brawn.
Another topic that Formula 1 is now concerned with: In 2022, Formula 1 will be a little more sustainable, ten percent of the fuel must be obtained from renewable energies.
Michael Schumacher at the Brazilian Grand Prix in November 2012. © via www.imago-images.de
Formula 1: "Michael would love the new Formula 1!"
Brawn could well imagine Schumacher in the new Formula 1.
"That would have been his thing," the 67-year-old told
Sport Bild
.
As technical director of Benetton and Ferrari, as well as team boss of Mercedes, the Briton was there at first hand when Schumacher won his seven world titles.
“He used to be the last person to leave the paddock on Saturday evening before the race.
He sat with me and the engineers for hours on dates and numbers.” Brawn's conclusion, considering today's flood of data and the many rule changes: “He would be fascinated to analyze all this with the engineers.
He would be great in this new era.”
Max Verstappen is great in this era: the world champion won the Miami Grand Prix and will go into the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 22nd as a favorite.
Exact broadcast times for the entire season can be found here.
