P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey hypothesises that the series has found itself “close to the limit” of the current regulations.
Formula 1 introduced the current ground effect rules cycle in 2022, with the upcoming season marking the final one under the existing technical regulations before major changes in 2026. The 2022 and 2023 seasons witnessed Red Bull dominating most races, but 2024 saw a tighter competition, with seven different drivers winning races for the first time in F1’s history, representing four constructors. Qualifying sessions in 2024 showed how closely matched the teams were, with the top six drivers in the final two sessions separated by just half a second. Teams faced various developmental challenges, from balance issues to instability and bouncing, as they strived for supremacy on the track. Adrian Newey highlighted the inherent instability of ground-effect cars without side-sealing skirts from past eras, emphasizing the struggle with downforce losses and leakage affecting performance. Despite facing difficulties, teams like McLaren and Haas managed to bring upgrades without major side effects, signaling the critical limit of the current regulations as Newey observed.
