The Overtaking Problem

Overtaking has been an issue that both pundits and fans around the world have bemoaned over the last handful of Formula 1 seasons. At the start of 2017 testing, drivers remarked how much the cars had improved in term of speed but also expressed concern that with the aerodynamic turbulence of the new regulations, it would become too difficult to follow closely behind another driver. These fears were realized to some extent through the season with drivers often reporting to their teams that they were unable to remain in contact with the car ahead due to the disturbed air. This was also an upset to many of the sport’s fans who took to social media criticizing the relatively unexciting races. Pirelli’s December 9th press release detailing a selection of statistics from the 2017 season supported the notion that this was a generally lackluster season from an overtaking standpoint by highlighting the fact that there were only 435 total overtakes over the course of the entire 20 race calendar, a stark comparison to the 866 overtakes recorded last season.

With fans pushing for more exciting races and overtaking, Managing Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn has stepped forward and suggested that while the internal aerodynamic develop is proceeding well, the sport is also researching ways in which to alter the circuits themselves in order to allow more opportunities for overtaking. Regarding the potential to change track layouts Brawn said, “Were there periods of racing where there was more overtaking? Are there tracks where there is more overtaking? So you can do a statistical analysis… The thing you have to be careful of is that overtaking isn't good racing.” What Brawn stresses her is the fact that there needs to be a balance between the aerodynamic performance of the cars themselves and the layout of the track. In essence, Ross Brawn is suggesting that the sport needs to go back to its roots in order to find the formula that enthralled fans so much in the past.

Of course, one of the major factors in Formula 1 from days gone by that the sport lacks today, is testing. The teams receive a few opportunities per season to test tires for Pirelli in order that the manufacturer can better develop the compound, but of the 38,788 tires supplied by Pirelli over the entire season, only roughly 14 percent of those tires were used for testing. Pirelli’s Head of Car Racing Mario Isola, even went so far as to point out the lack of testing in their official 2017 season press release stating, “ We developed these tires throughout 2016, despite not even seeing a 2017 car until the first pre-season test at Barcelona.” Implicit in this lack of knowledge of the cars, is the fact that the teams themselves are not given a representory tire to develop the car with until Winter testing begins. With Pirelli bringing in two new tire compounds that season, getting the cars to perform well will become an even bigger challenge than in years past.

While overtaking isn’t necessarily the epitome of quality racing, it is undoubtedly a major part of it. Going forward, Liberty Media along with the FIA will attempt to better the overall spectacle of the sport and draw in a new audience. One thing to look out for the two groups to though, is to ensure that they do not alienate their existing fanbase by making major alterations in order to produce more overtaking.

Hat tip: Autosport