Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo believes dirty air and following other cars could🧸 be “a bit worse” during the 2020 Formula 1 season due to incrꩲeased levels of speed this year.

Thanks to development gains made by teams with stable regulations, drivers were lapping the Circuit de-Barcelona Catalunya quicker than previous years during pre-season testing, with Valtteri Bottas’ hea♚dline time half a second faster than what wa🅷s managed last winter. 

But the increased speed has come with a drawback, according to a number of drivers including Ricciardo, who fears the dirty air produced by cars will have an even worse ef꧙fect on the qu👍ality of wheel-to-wheel racing. 

“It is pretty dirty, but I feel we're going quicker than last year again, Turns 2 and 3 are easy flat, Tu✃rn 9 is for more or less every lap, not with fuel but low fuel,” he explained. 

“So the dirty air we are creating is more because of the speed we’re going, and trying to trav🎃el close behind another car you still feel it. 

“Unfortunately a track like this with a lot of higꦺh-speed corners in the first two sectors it is very hard to stay close to a car. 🌜;

“I’d like to say it’s better but it is certainl♋y not and maybe a bit worse.”&nbs💯p;

F1 bosses are worki🔯ng to address the problem in the upcoming regulation overhaul for 2021, with improved on-track action between battling cars at the centre of plans to help create more competitive rac🌳ing. 

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel,🅷 who found himself battling McLaren driver Lando Norris on track during testi☂ng, echoed Ricciardo’s verdict. 

“I actually enjoy it [the figℱht], but I think the car is probably a little bit worse this year for following and passing,” he said.

“Everybody is trying to put more downforce on the car which means we are more ꧑worried about needing clean air where it matters on your car. 

“So whatever comes out in the end you are not too worried but if you are the car behind it is not nice bu🏅t we will wait and see.”