Despite rules made to reduce the massive aero wake generated by Formula 1 cars in 2019, several drivers claim they felt no difference when following rivals during preseason testing in Barcelona, however, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen has given the rule changes a big thumbs up.
In the wake of preseason testing, Magnussen told the official F1 website, “[The cars] are still very, very fun to drive. And I would say, I followed a car and it really, really feels a lot better than last year.
“A lot of people were saying it wouldn’t make any difference. It’s not a big difference but I could actually follow, so it will be interesting to see. I was a lot faster than the guy I was following, and the lap that I caught him, I got past him.”
“I must have been around two seconds faster – in which case you would have also passed him last year, I think – but feeling the car behind the other car felt different, much better… than last year, I would say.”
“The whole car just feels more consistent and stable behind another car, so I’m looking forward to seeing if other tracks are the same. There are always different factors that you might have overlooked, so you go to another track and it’s different.”
“The first signs are good, I would say, in this ‘following’ aspect,” concluded Magnussen who will contest his 82nd F1 race when he lines up on the grid for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, in Melbourne on 17 March.
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