is assured that Method 1’s extra inexperienced drivers will profit from the 2026 regulation overhaul because of the must adapt.
F1 guarantees to look completely completely different this yr with modifications to each the chassis, , and engine, extra reliant on electrical energy, after 4 years of floor impact vehicles.
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There was huge discuss how drivers will subsequently must adapt their fashion as a consequence of lively aerodynamics and power administration taking part in a much bigger function, .
However the youthful drivers, like those that have solely been in F1 since final yr, could profit from this overhaul as a result of they’re already used to continuously altering vehicles and don’t actually have one distinct fashion of racing to fall again on.
Antonelli is a type of, having been fast-tracked to F1 by by no means contesting a couple of season of a junior championship earlier than making his grand prix debut on the age of 18.
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“For all of the rookies that joined F1 final yr, coming into this yr with a brand new automotive is sort of good, as a result of clearly we have been used to drive a unique automotive yearly,” mentioned the Italian teen.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes W17
“So we have been used to try to adapt as shortly as doable to a brand new automotive. So in fact on that facet, it is good that we’ve a brand new automotive this yr, as a result of it is a reset for everybody. Particularly for us, that we have been used to yearly to a brand new automotive, it is good as a result of we have been used to that. Perhaps it’ll assist us out to grasp the automotive a bit faster than others.”
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The Mercedes driver subsequently thinks it ranges the taking part in discipline as all people has to start out from scratch, versus final season the place he got here in at maybe an obstacle to others.
“This can be a huge rule change and it sort of resets all the pieces as a result of everybody has to relearn the automotive,” he added. “So on that facet, it is higher as a result of clearly final yr was final yr’s, the final yr of the previous regulation and a lot of the drivers, they knew the automotive very, very effectively and so they’ve been creating that automotive.
“Whereas this yr is certainly fully new, so on the driving facet, it is a huge alternative as a result of whoever understands it one of the best ways and sooner than the others can actually make the distinction.”
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That isn’t to say, nonetheless, that the veterans will wrestle and routinely get crushed by the children, as a result of being inexperienced nonetheless proved expensive for Antonelli final season.
Though he impressed on events with three podiums and a Miami dash pole, he additionally suffered many unforced crashes in observe and generally struggled with the pressures of being a highly-rated rookie – his dwelling race at Imola being an instance.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
“The opposite drivers usually are not silly and so they’re fairly good,” mentioned the 19-year-old. “So I believe they may determine it out in a short time as effectively.
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“Expertise nonetheless counts. With the way you method the yr, each weekend, the expertise nonetheless helps and since, in fact, I’ve carried out one yr in F1 and I’ve discovered loads, however this yr, positively I’ll have a unique method at occasions, however I really feel I nonetheless must study fairly a bit.
“So on the expertise facet, there’ll nonetheless be a little bit of a distinction, however on the driving facet, I believe we’re all on the identical stage now as we’ve the brand new automotive. So I believe that’s going to be a giant, huge alternative.”
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