Ross Brawn happy to leave ‘not so good’ 2021 Formula 1 cars in the past

Ross Brawn praised the 2021 cars for their “complexity” – which also counts against them and makes them “not so good racing cars”.

Brawn believes the cars are « way too critical » when it comes to their construction, meaning that any slight damage or incorrect setup could lead to big differences in performance, making them less likely to compete with each other. on the right track.

The car’s new specification for 2022 was designed with the specific intention of being able to follow the cars ahead more easily, and Pirelli was tasked with building tires that can withstand a harder push for longer – which in theory , will produce more overshoots and make for a better show.

Brawn was asked if these some of the fastest cars in the history of the sport make them among the “ultimate” cars, and he was diplomatic in his response.

“I think it depends on your definition of the ultimate Formula 1 car,” he told F1TV’s Tech Talk at the end of the season.

“If it’s the fastest, maybe. If it’s the best racing car, no. I think these cars are way too critical when they are close to each other.

“They’re way too critical if they hit a sidewalk because a part flies out and then they don’t work. So these are incredible devices… I mean, their complexity is incredible.

Regarding cars this year, Brawn developed his theory by saying that the millions of simulations performed by teams over the weekend can help them find their optimal tuning and that any fault can have difficult consequences.

He added that next year’s cars were built with the idea of ​​making them ‘simpler’, although he admitted that the teams would complicate matters again once their designs are unveiled in testing. .

“These are the methodologies they have now with repetitive software, which keeps checking and verifying and verifying until they come up with the ideal design for a specific area of ​​the car,” Brawn said.

“And every part is essential to every other part, and when a part gets knocked over – because they’re race cars after all – it just doesn’t work properly.

“That has been one of the goals of the new car, we’re trying to make it a little more robust, a little simpler, a little less critical.

“No doubt the teams will complicate the concept, but I think we can pull it off again.

“So these are fascinating and incredibly impressive designs, but actually not very good racing cars. «