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The larger tires set to come in the F1 2022 season will 'make no difference' to the driver's visibility, according to Nico Hulkenberg.
Nico Hulkenberg is a former F1 driver who is currently a reserve driver for Aston Martin in F1. The German also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche in 2015.
Hulkenberg wrote a lengthy article to address all the new changes that are set to come in for the new season, mainly around the regulatory changes for the cars.
In it, he touched on the new 18-inch wheels that will replace the 13-inch wheels for the upcoming season. Nico Hulkenberg wrote:
"One thing that immediately stands out is that the cars look more futuristic and will have 18-inch rims instead of 13-inch ones in the future. By the way, these larger tires make no difference to the drivers' visibility."
He added:
"The Driver will just see more rim instead of tire wall like in the past. Otherwise, the new model differs from its old version from front to back, especially underneath the body work it will look very different for some teams."
Tire manufacturer Pirelli have also made changes to their formula to align with the new F1 2022 season wheels. Pirell is working with other F1 teams to reduce tire vibrations in high-speed situations and improve tire reliability.
F1 2022 cars to be heaviest ever in history of the sport
The new cars set to be used in the upcoming F1 2022 season are set to be the heaviest cars ever to feature in the sport.
Cars now need to add 40 kg to the existing weight limit from 2021, bringing the total up to 795 kg as the minimum weight. This is before the addition of the mandated 110 kg of fuel.
In the past, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has questioned the presence of heavier cars in F1 and their goal for more sustainability. He said:
“I don’t understand particularly why we go heavier when there’s all this talk about being more sustainable, the sport going in that direction. By going heavier and heavier and heavier you’re using more and more energy, so that feels that’s not necessarily in the right direction or the thought process. The lighter cars were more nimble, were nowhere near as big, and so racing, maneuvering the car was better.”
It remains to be seen how the new weight rules will impact racing on the track when the new season shifts into gear in March later this year.
