While 2014 ushered in the hybrid era in Formula 1, 2022 is all set to see another big set of regulations come into force with the big aim of promoting closer racing. However, if you wind the clock back to 2010, you will see that the regulations introduced in this season gave F1 cars their biggest overhaul in 25 years. In fact, the regulation changes in 2014 and 2022 couldn't have been possible if it weren't for the 2010 overhaul. Take a look at what these changes were.
Before 2010, pitstops also involved refuelling the car using large hoses. The no refuelling rule not only made pitstops less dangerous but also helped cut costs. But this meant that the new Formula 1 cars were now longer by 20 to 22cm to accommodate the larger tanks. Carrying the entire race's worth of fuel meant that the weight of the liquid was twice that of the previous years.
Though there was no refuelling needed, pitstops were still a necessity to replace tyres. The 2010 season saw the introduction of front tyres that were narrower by 20mm. This was done with the aim of improving the balance of the cars. Wheel covers and rim heaters were banned, and tyre blankets were only allowed to act on the tyre's outer surface. The year 2010 saw each driver getting eleven sets of tyres for the weekend instead of fourteen.
This change was mainly caused by the increased number (26) of drivers participating in the 2010 season. Points were awarded to 10th place cars as well. The season's allocation for points from the 1st to 10th positions was 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1.
These changes were also the consequence of a larger grid occupying more drivers. This now meant that the eight slowest cars would drop out of the first two sessions. The final session of qualifying mandated that the cars run on low fuel loads and that they start the Sunday race on the set of tyres they used during the final qualifying session, assuming that there's no rain.
The 2010 rule changes in Formula 1 also introduced a slight change to the penalty slapped to a driver if they end up using more than eight engines during the season. The driver would be needed to drop ten places on the starting grid at the first race during which each additional engine is used.
These were more or less all the major changes that the 2010 season introduced to Formula 1. As history tells us, every new rule change has led to newer teams and drivers dominating the grid. This one saw Sebastian Vettel going on to win four consecutive driver's championships in his Red Bull.
This weekend will mark the start of the 2022 season that has brought huge changes to the car regulations and we just can't wait to see who ends up dominating Formula 1 from here on.
