Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that Mercedes and Red Bull will be at the front of the field again in 2022, despite the major technical regulation changes that are being introduced to the sport. The teams are in the final stages of completing their 2022 challengers, which have been built to a new set of technical regulations. F1 expect the new cars to be able to follow each other more closely, with only a 10 percent downforce loss compared to 50 percent with this year's cars. This should increase overtaking and wheel-to-wheel racing across the field, with the possibility of the pecking order shifting dramatically.
Red Bull and Mercedes to lead the way again?
In 2009, when there were major regulation changes, the pecking order saw Ferrari and McLaren drop from being F1's top two teams to midfield runners. Marko, though, expects Red Bull and Mercedes to maintain their authority this time around. "At the moment, we believe that we are almost on a par with Mercedes," Marko told Servus TV . "We believe that we are both at the front again, unless someone manages a golden shot like with the double diffuser."
Verstappen has tested 2022 car on the simulator
Max Verstappen will be hoping to defend his World Championship next year to continue Red Bull's run of success. Verstappen, who won 10 races in 2021, has been testing Red Bull's new challenger on the simulator, according to Marko. "Max drove in the simulator in between races," said Marko. "He can drive a car that is relatively unstable in the rear. "For him, the car has to be as fast as possible, [so] it doesn't have to be comfortable."
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