Allison criticises Formula 1's approach over 'dirty air'

Mercedes technical director James Allison says that Formula 1 made a crucial mistake when it prioritised addressing the problem of 'dirty air' in order to improve on-track competition.

A rule change introduced at the start of 2022 sought to make it easier for cars to overtake during a race by scaling back the turbulent wake generated by the car in front, which made it hard for rivals to catch and pass them.

Among the measures was the reintroduction of ground effect aerodynamics, which helps 'suck' the car down and stick it to the track to improve grip and handling that can help mitigate the effect of dirty air.

Having just won the 2021 drivers championship, Red Bull benefited the most from the new rules thanks to Adrian Newey's design work, and the team has since been effectively unbeatable for two seasons.

That's the opposite of what was intended, which was to generate closer racing and a level playing field among the teams. Allison admitted that was testament to Newey and Red Bull rather than the fault of the rules.

• Read also: Allison commits to long-term future with Mercedes

“I don't necessarily think that the rules have failed in those terms [with Red Bull dominating] because our job is to try and make sure that we can make a good fight of it," he told the media last week.

"Red Bull are doing a good job and the rest of us have a duty to do a better job. I don't think that's the fault of the regulator.

“But there are things in the regulations that don't serve any of us well," he continued. "I don't think it's sensible to have cars that hug the ground in the way that these cars hug it.

Allison also questioned "the idea that you get good racing by controlling wakes, while ignoring tyres".

"The whole idea of controlling wakes, being something of a tilting-at-windmills type of challenge, that side of things has been tested to destruction fairly evidently."

Allison is hoping that the lessons of what worked and what went wrong with the 2022 changes will be taken on board for the next major overhaul of the sport's rules and regulations set to take place in 2026.

“I don't think there's anything wrong in particular with ground-effects floors,” he said. “But the FIA is still very much of a mind to place wake management at the top of the tree of everything, sacrificing this stuff.

"It would be helpful if there was more of a balanced approach there," he added. "The particular layout of these ones, that have a response to rear ride height that is not particularly good for the cars, isn't something that we should carry into 2026.”

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