For most of the 2010s, Formula 1's biggest on-track problem had nothing to do with engines or tires. It was air. Any car running within a couple of car lengths of the one ahead lost so much downforce in the dirty air coming off the leading car's wings that following closely, let alone attempting a pass, became close to impossible without a straight-line speed advantage. The 2022 regulation overhaul was built specifically to solve that problem, and several seasons on, the data on whether it worked is clear enough to actually evaluate.
What Formula 1's Ground-Effect Rules Actually Changed About Racing
