As much of the F1 world's focus already begins to turn to 2022 and the revolutionary changes that are set to be ushered in, Gary Anderson is instead claiming that we shouldn't be so keen to dismiss the minor tweaks to the regulations that are already being introduced this season. The former Jordan engineer theorizes that the 2021 alterations could end up having a bigger impact on the final season's standings than many are anticipating. "I can definitely see some teams getting to their 2020 levels of downforce and possibly the teams that were struggling at the back like Williams, Haas and Alfa Romeo even exceeding those levels", Anderson writes in his latest column for The Race. "Up at the front, it might prove to be a little more difficult but the lap times will make it very clear". The reasons for this are multi-varied, but in essence, Anderson speculates that it could be easier for the teams with lower downforce last year to claw back their 2020 levels. Mercedes, by contrast, have a significantly larger amount of downforce to try and rediscover - hardly an easy task when you consider just how glued to the track the W11 was throughout last year. The 2021 regulations are all about trying to reduced downforce in an attempt to save the Pirelli tyres that were famously punished at tracks such as Silverstone in 2020. But with every team having to adapt and shed some of their fanciest toys, those who can best understand the changes may just be able to catch out the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull. "The teams that do that best [adapt] will be the ones who look at the big picture rather than just worrying about the overall downforce levels", Anderson concludes.
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