Recognising the issue, the FIA sought to address it with significant design changes for the 2022 season. The rear wing, along with most the other aerodynamic components of the car, underwent substantial modifications. In an effort to enhance race quality, the FIA transitioned the cars into a ground effect era. This shift resulted in a considerable reduction in downforce generated by the rear wing, which was compensated by the substantial increase in downforce produced by the cars underfloor.^[32]

Wing Shape and Components

The new rear wing design retains the same two elements, but with stricter regulations on their shape and extent they are permitted to overlap. These elements, the endplates, and the mainplane, now form one continuous line without sharp corners or edges. This modification ensures that the endplates can no longer fence off the wing element and must be flush, therefore reducing their ability to prevent leakages across the surface of those elements and off the edge. Since the wing depend on pressure differential above and below the wing to generate downforce, the wing becomes less effective due to the reduction in vortices of spinning air spilling off the wing corners. This reduction in vortices decreases the turbulent and unfavourable air in the wake of the car.^[10]

Slats have been removed entirely from the 2022 regulation rear wing. The removal of slats has eliminated their ability equalise pressure between the inner and outer faces. This modification results in a reduction of the overall downforce generated by the wing but significantly improves the cleanliness of its aerodynamic wake. Additionally, the endplates now sweep dramatically inboard, causing the airflow in this region to be directed inward of the rear wheel. This adjustment narrows the car’s aerodynamic wake and prevents it from dispersing outwards, thereby reducing the negative impact on following cars.

The new regulations reintroduced beam wings, which had been banned since 2014. The beam wing generates a low-pressure area behind the exit ramps of the underfloor venturis, accelerating the exit air and consequently increasing the speed of the entire underbody airflow. This enhancement compensates for the reduction in downforce caused by 2022 rear wing design. As a result, trailing cars now experience a downforce reduction of 4% at a distance of 20-meters and 18% at 10-meters, a significant improvement compared to the previous reduction of 35% and 46%, respectfully. This demonstrates the effectiveness of redirecting airflow to the surroundings rather than towards the following cars. ^[10] The build of this new rear wing can be seen label in figure 8.