50 March 2022 www.bahrainthismonth.com motoring It seems like it was just yesterday that the smell of burning rubber and the roar of turbocharged engines last charmed our senses as the 2021 Formula One season came to a thrilling – and hugely controversial – conclusion in Abu Dhabi. Whilst the talk over the winter break has focused on structural changes and new protocols at the governing body, the FIA’s, highest level amidst the fallout from Max Verstappen’s last-lap championship win, it’s time to get back on track (literally!) as the pinnacle of motorsport begins its annual whistle-stop tour of the globe this month. Where better to begin than our beloved Kingdom, as the 18 th Bahrain Grand Prix inaugurates the season under the lights in Sakhir. Fresh from signing a contract to continue racing here until 2036, another thrilling spectacle is bound to unfold before our eyes this month. The 2022 season brings with it the biggest changes to the formula in 40 years. The new technical regulations redefine how the cars work in an attempt to solve the problems faced by drivers in recent years when it came to overtaking. An F1 car›s speed is largely defined by aerodynamics. In the past, turbulent air behind cars disrupted the car behind and led to it losing close to half of its total downforce when following closely. The technical boffins at the FIA suggest that with the new rules this year, a car following directly behind another will retain 85 per cent of its total downforce when one metre behind, START YOUR ENGINES! Our resident motorhead, Kristian Harrison, makes his predictions for the upcoming F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2022
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