< > After three years of stagnation where Formula 1 has been dominated by the Mercedes works team, winning all but eight races in the period, many race fans will delight in the shakeup of the rules for this year. New rules, new chances. The token system that prevented the other engine manufacturers from making up for their inferior design choices is gone. Tire degradation will be less of an issue with their increased size. And the cars will be faster… five seconds per lap faster according to teams' estimates. But how? A wider body and wider tires add drag. Lower rear wings will produce less downforce. A heavier car will accelerate less fast. What makes it faster, then?...
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