Are The Current F1 Regulations A Failure? FIA Respond
One of the purported reasons for the change in regulations last year was to ensure that no team could have a lasting advantage and that the rest of the field could catch up as the season progressed. However, with Red Bull winning every single race this season after having dominated the 2022 season as well, many have raised their doubts regarding the efficacy of these new regulations with some even calling it a failure. The FIA has now responded
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I'm your host Dillon Shelley and first up on Formula World:
Are The Current F1 Regulations A Failure? FIA Respond
FIA’s single seater director Nikolas Tombazis, while speaking to Corriere della Sera started off by speaking about the efficacy of the current regulations
“Putting Red Bull aside, everyone else is close”
“I think it’s only a matter of time before performance convergence is achieved”
“Maybe it will be achieved in the next few months, maybe it will be early next year”
“But almost everyone is going towards the Red Bull technical concept – even Mercedes and Ferrari”
He then gave his thoughts on the possibility of having another close championship similar to 2021
“We hope to see very close world championships again, maybe like it was in 2021”
“But we cannot create them artificially”
“We cannot fight against the ability of some to do a better job than others”
He then spoke about the next big change coming to F1
“The new F1 changes will be defined in June 2024”
“There will be a significant reduction in aerodynamic drag”
“The current F1 cars have an invisible parachute behind them on the straight”
“To reducing air resistance, the cars may have some moving parts. And this will help on the straights”
He signed off by speaking about the possibility of eliminating DRS from F1
“In an ideal world it is conceivable to remove DRS, but in the short term it will not happen because otherwise overtaking would be very difficult”
“With the current level of technology, of science, removing the DRS would be a risk for the sport”
Fast Feed
Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola revealed that “the teams didn't agree to [blanket-free intermediates]” [Motorsport]
“Unfortunately, we had more than two teams against, because we needed eight teams in favour”
Ferrari team principal Frederick Vasseur “can understand very well when [drivers] get out of the car after bad results,” [Motorsport-total]
“And are asked by someone: Were you happy with this strategy? Then they will definitely say no”
“[I and Charles Leclerc] had a good conversation [about the strategy during qualifying in Canada] and he said, 'OK, I was wrong”
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg highlighted how Canada “was a one-way street in the wrong direction” [Media Debrief]
“It was to some extent expected, but we obviously always hope for the best”
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton suggested that their car’s main weakness is “low speed rear end” [Media Debrief]
“I got to experience being behind Max [Verstappen] and his rear end is very strong”
“His rear end doesn't move and he pulls 10 car lengths just coming out of the corners”
Have the current regulations been a failure?