Antonelli, Leclerc, and Piastri Agree: New F1 Cars Can Follow But Overtaking Remains Tough

In a revealing post-race discussion at the Japanese Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri converged on a critical assessment of Formula 1's latest generation of cars: while they can follow closely, actually completing an overtake remains a significant challenge. The Ferrari driver also disclosed a tense moment of contact with Lewis Hamilton during their on-track battle for position.

Why it matters:

This candid feedback from three of the grid's top talents directly addresses the core objective of F1's 2022 technical regulations, which were designed to improve wheel-to-wheel racing and overtaking. Their consensus suggests that while progress has been made in one area (following), the ultimate goal of more frequent and exciting passes is still not being fully realized, posing a key challenge for future regulation cycles.

The details:

• The conversation in the Suzuka cooldown room highlighted a nuanced debate about the cars' performance. Oscar Piastri led with the blunt assessment: "These cars can follow pretty close, still can't overtake."
• Kimi Antonelli offered a slightly different perspective, noting that the overtake mode—a temporary power boost—did provide some additional opportunities.
• Piastri pushed back on that point, citing his own race experience where cars behind, like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, did not gain a decisive advantage even with the mode activated.
• The drivers also compared notes on energy management. Charles Leclerc expressed greater satisfaction with the battery system than in previous years, while Piastri humorously noted he finally understood the "mushroom" power-up analogy from Mario Kart when using the different engine modes.
• Leclerc's Hamilton Contact: Leclerc revealed a moment of alarm during his overtake on Hamilton for the final podium spot. Upon seeing a replay, he exclaimed, "Oh my god. We touched there. I thought I had a puncture," highlighting the fine margins and inherent risk in even the best-executed passes.

The big picture:

The drivers' discussion underscores an ongoing tension in Formula 1 between aerodynamic efficiency and raceability. The current ground-effect cars have succeeded in reducing the 'dirty air' that previously made following impossible, but converting that proximity into actual overtakes requires a delicate balance of power, drag, and braking performance. As teams continue to develop their 2024 and 2025 challengers within these rules, driver feedback like this will be crucial for the FIA and F1 as they plan the next set of technical regulations aimed at cementing better racing as the sport's permanent standard.