Lando Norris has highlighted the lack of slipstream as a key downside to the all-new breed of Formula 1 car introduced in 2022. The technical rules were given a overhaul for last season, with cars now designed around ground effects where downforce is produced by the floor and underbody of the car, sucking it to the track. Work was also done to ensure that the so-called 'dirty' air created in the wake of one car would be pushed higher and further away, meaning a chasing driver would not lose downforce in their pursuit. However, this dirty air was also a slipstream for drivers to get close to those ahead - with Norris highlighting the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa as evidence of a lack of slipstream and the knock-on effects of that.
Norris laments lack of slipstream
"I would say the racing has definitely been more enjoyable," McLaren driver Norris told media, including RacingNews365.com. "There's been [fewer] times when you're a little bit quicker [than the car ahead], but you just can't do anything and sit behind the whole race, but at least it seems like there's more chances that racing is going to happen. "Some racetracks have been worse for racing because it's harder to overtake and race [against others] as the slipstream is so much less - which is something people didn't really talk about. "Following is a lot better [with a slipstream] because the effect of what causes it is the dirty air and that's what made races in previous years pretty good. "In Spa [2022] for instance, it was one of the worst races for overtaking - not been bad, but not that good. "All the way down the back straight before the final chicane you could almost overtake there because the slipstream was so big, now instead of gaining half a second, you gain one-tenth and DRS does absolutely nothing because you have no flap [due to a reduced wing angle]. "So actually, the racing is worse at Spa, but in most places, it's been better, so at the end of the day, I think [the new rules] have been a good thing."
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