F1 News: Crucial overtake statistic from 2022 season is revealed

Pirelli's Mario Isola has revealed that overtakes increased by a significant 30% this season, a testament to the effectiveness of the 2022 regulations.

Whilst last season was one of F1's most dramatic in recent years, the issue of limited overtaking - due to the dirty air effect - still proved a limiting factor in the quality of racing.

This is not to say that overtakes directly correlate to more exciting races, but facilitating competition and wheel-to-wheel action between drivers can only be positive.

The 2022 season was the first year of a major regulation change, with one of the priorities being to make following cars easier than in previous seasons.

F1 can be pleased with the progress made in this department, as evidenced by Mario Isola's comments to the media after the Abu Dhabi GP:

"I believe it's a very good number, 30% more, considering that is informed by the facts [the overtakes], so it's not exaggerated. It's quite a good point...

"The fact that when they follow each other, they lose less downforce is obviously helping the tyre.

"Because they don't slide more, they slide less, and they don't overheat."

Generally speaking, Formula 1 can describe these regulations as successful in tackling the problem of dirty air and limited overtaking.

With the 2023 season on the horizon, a more evenly matched field will be the next area that fans hope to see addressed.

Overtaking has undeniably be, but the gap between the top three teams and the midfield pack remains significant.

It seems unrealistic to expect three or more teams to fight for the championship in 2023, but there is still hope that one of the midfield teams can make a step forward.

The likes of Alpine and McLaren are still a few steps behind the front-runners, so it will become their objective to erase this deficit.