Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian driver for the RB VCARB 01 team, participated in the Formula 1 World Championship, Round 2, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on September 3, 2024.
James Vowles, the team principal of the Williams Formula 1 team, has expressed his belief that the current ground effect regulations in the sport are not a failure, despite drivers facing increasing challenges when driving in traffic. These regulations were introduced in 2022 with the aim of making it easier for drivers to follow each other in turbulent air, thus creating more opportunities for overtaking. While this was initially successful, three years of developments and upgrades have resulted in drivers complaining about the difficulty of following other cars.
The next reset of F1 regulations is scheduled for 2026, and although the specifics have not yet been confirmed, the issues of turbulent air and overtaking difficulties will be addressed. James Allison, the Technical Director of Mercedes, recently stated that he believed the most recent attempt to control turbulent air through regulation changes had been thoroughly tested. However, James Vowles disagreed with this assessment, stating that he does not believe the regulations have failed. He acknowledged that competition in the midfield is intense and that overtaking does occur. He also noted that the current cars, despite their challenges, are still an improvement over previous generations. However, he acknowledged that as teams develop their cars to generate more downforce, it becomes harder to follow closely behind.
Mike Krack, the team principal of Aston Martin, echoed James Vowles’ sentiment, stating that he does not consider the regulations to be a failure. He acknowledged that while there has been dominance from one team, it is not indicative of the regulations themselves being unsuccessful.
The return to ground effect machinery has seen Red Bull and Max Verstappen emerge as a dominant force in F1, with Verstappen securing his third title in 2023. Mike Krack expressed optimism about the future, stating that there is one more year to go before the new regulations come into effect. He emphasized the importance of finalizing the regulations by the end of June and not delaying the process, as it represents a significant change for everyone involved in the sport.