Overtakings are fewer in 2023 in F1

What better feeling for a Formula 1 fan than seeing their favorite driver overtake another? Who would want to see a Grand Prix without any overtaking like in Monaco two years ago? Overtakes are the essence of motor racing and a big part of its spectacle.

78 fewer overtakings in the first 12 races

The F1 has understood this well and has been looking for ways over the years to maintain this spectacle. In 2022, under the guidance of the sport and technical director, Ross Brawn, the F1 adopted a brand new car concept, with ground-effect aerodynamics, a revised bodywork, and larger tires, while retaining the 1.6-liter hybrid turbo engines that were introduced in 2014.

This was intended to promote overtaking. Mission accomplished as at the end of the 2022 season, tire supplier Pirelli recorded 785 overtakes compared to 599 the previous year, representing a 30% increase. It should be noted that the Italian company only counts what are called “clean” overtakes, meaning the figures are not distorted by cars stopping at the pit or dropping down the rankings for various reasons. Additionally, some statistics include overtakes shown on TV, while others do not. Therefore, it is difficult to have an exact number.

This season, the spectators are getting bored, as the show is not facilitated by the overwhelming dominance of Red Bull, especially by Max Verstappen. The drivers themselves complain about the difficulty of overtaking. The director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, George Russell, and the Haas team principal, Gunther Steiner, have expressed this viewpoint since the beginning of the year.

The numbers prove them right. Indeed, out of the 12 GPs held this year, 470 overtakes were recorded by the specialized Formula Data Analysis account. For the same 12 races in 2022 (the Emilie-Romagne GP, canceled in 2023, is not included), this figure was 548. This gives an average of 39.1 overtakes per race this season, compared to 45.6 last year on the same sample. Only 4 Grand Prix had a higher total of overtakes in 2023 than in 2022.

New aerodynamic rules, are they really effective?

So, is it more difficult to overtake? Difficult to give a definitive answer, as there are many factors at play. In any case, what seems to be a problem for the drivers in their maneuvers is simply the difficulty of following the car in front. The drivers’ discontent is partly linked to the evolution of the cars this year: it seems more difficult, especially with the aerodynamic and floor developments, to closely follow other F1 cars, even though that was the goal of the new aerodynamic regulations for 2022. The F1 created these regulations to facilitate overtaking and following other cars, and since they were introduced, each team has naturally moved away from these initial intentions of the regulations, said George Russell during the season. For example, teams now have the right to develop their floors to a great extent, which greatly affects the aerodynamics of the car.

This year too, some DRS zones have been reduced, which several drivers have shown reluctance towards. Introduced in F1 in 2011, the Drag Reduction System, or Système de réduction de la traînée in French, allows for an increase in speed when it is open and, theoretically, more overtaking opportunities.

Upon his arrival, a significant increase in the number of overtakings had been observed.

Although obviously not openly admitted, this decision seems to have no other purpose than to reduce the advantage of teams that make the most use of the DRS, namely Red Bull. This would not have the desired effect because even over short distances, the RB19 cars are able to create substantial gaps while the competition doesn’t reach the same speeds. These shortened zones would even benefit Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen according to some.