Ralf Schumacher faster than F1’s 2022 grid

Ralf Schumacher stunned spectators at the Austrian GP by lapping faster than the current-generation Formula 1 cars.

The former F1 driver, whose 23-year-old nephew Mick races for Haas, was reunited with his 2003 Williams car, whose V10 engine had been detuned from the original 950 to 850 horsepower.

Laptimes were not officially recorded or published, but some claimed the 47-year-old was clearly faster than the current 2022 cars.

"I was faster," Schumacher confirmed to motorsport-total.com, "but I won’t say by how much."

When asked to explain the anomaly of a nearly 20-year-old Formula 1 car going quicker than a fully-competitive 2022 machine, the German explained: "The current cars are almost 200 kilograms heavier.

"Safety is what makes the cars so heavy today," Schumacher added.