Haas’ Kevin Magnussen believes the aerodynamic changes Formula 1 has made for 2019 will make passing easier.
Formula 1 undertook aerodynamic tweaks for 2019 with the aim of making following another car simpler, after complaints for years over the impact of dirty air.
Formula 1 chiefs last year indicated that the effect of dirty air should be reduced by around 20 per cent, ostensibly assisting drivers while trying to overtake a rival.
Drivers have so far been coy over the impact of the changes – due to the lack of time in which they typically follow a rival during testing – but Magnussen was upbeat over the potential.
“I followed a car and it really, really feels a lot better than last year,” he said.
“I heard so many people, even guys from here when the car was just in the windtunnel, a lot of people were saying it wouldn’t make any difference.
“But following a car I felt a big difference – I could actually follow.
“I was a lot faster than the guy I was following, the lap that I caught him, I got past him. I must have been around two seconds faster.
“In which case you also would have passed him last year, but it just felt very, very, different, much better.”
When pushed further on the effect, Magnussen said: “The whole car just feels more consistent and stable behind another car.
“I’m looking forward to seeing if other tracks are the same – there’s always different factors you might have overlooked so you come to another track and it might be different.
“But first signs are good, I would say, in this following aspect.
“Maybe it’s too much, now we have this big rear wing it will be too easy to pass and we won’t see racing anymore!”
