Szafnauer ‘amazed’ by reliability of new F1 cars

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer says he has been “amazed” by car reliability throughout the grid at the start of Formula 1’s new era.

All of this year’s challengers had to be designed from scratch as F1 brought in fresh regulations intended to make racing closer, more exciting and competitive, closing up the pack and shuffling the order.

Just about every box has been ticked in the first two races of the 2022 season, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen engaging in a thrilling duel for the lead in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and emerging with a victory apiece.

Usually at the start of a campaign, and especially when new cars have had to be created, there are reliability problems with several drivers having to retire from races.

But that has not been the case so much this term. Although Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso and Valtteri Bottas exited in quick succession in Saudi Arabia last time out, in Bahrain previously the whole field had still been running until 12 laps from the end after which Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez and Verstappen retired with issues.

An attrition rate of three cars per race at this point reflects well on the teams generally, especially with engines having had to be homologated for the next four seasons, and Szafnauer admits it has caught him by surprise.

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