Formula 1 drivers call Miami rule tweaks a step forward — but not nearly enough

Mechanics push Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin through pit lane in Miami Chris Graythen/Getty Images Share articleMIAMI GARDENS, FL. — As drivers spoke to reporters Thursday before the Miami Grand Prix, it became more and more evident that opinions were divided on the newly updated technical regulations, with Lance Stroll going as far as saying, “I think we’re still far away from proper F1 cars.” The Aston Martin driver, who is in his 10th season, thinks F1 should be “pushing flat out without thinking about batteries.” The technical regulations include increased reliance on electrical energy compared to previous years, with the split now more 50/50 with internal combustion power. This has led to racing in which drivers need to decide where to recharge and deploy their batteries while seeking a prime overtaking opportunity. The rules have come under intense scrutiny from drivers and fans, particularly after Ollie Bearman’s 50G-force wreck at Suzuka. The high closing speeds and the potential for a wreck like that are what the drivers warned could happen. But the new tweaks should mitigate the issue. During the five-week April break, an unusual gap in the calendar, caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs due to the Iran War, prompted several meetings on the regulations. The final proposal that went to the World Motor Sport Council for an e-vote was decided by the FIA, F1 team principals, Formula One Management and the CEOs of the five engine manufacturers. The FIA announced some tweaks two weeks ago aimed at fixing the controversial cars. Four key areas were addressed, ranging from improving car performance in qualifying to enhancing safety in races and during wet conditions. The adjustments do address the lift and coast concerns raised and encourage flat-out racing, and the maximum duration of superclipping has been impacted. Superclipping is when the engines harvest energy and slow the cars down even though a driver stays on full throttle, and it’s been widely criticized throughout the season thus far. What the tweaks will look like this weekend in Miami is still unclear, given that it’s an energy-rich track with long straights. “All the new adjustments to the rules, it makes sense,” Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas said. “I think it’s in the right direction in terms of trying to have less gaps with the closing speeds. Perhaps a little bit less aggressive clipping at the end of the straights. So that makes sense. I think it’s still quite a small step, but a step in the right direction. “You could do a bigger change. But at the same time, I think what is tricky (is) that I understand that you don’t want to penalize any teams that have done well. You don’t want to make changes that would change the order of teams or anything like this.” The phrase “a step in the right direction” was said numerous times by different drivers on Thursday. But how much of a difference will it make this weekend in Miami, and at upcoming races in Montreal and Monaco? That remains to be seen, even though the drivers have tested them on the simulator. Lewis Hamilton said when he drove the car on the simulator with the tweaked rules, “they don’t really feel much different,” but that he does “imagine they will continue to improve through the year.” Given that it took multiple years to create these regulations and build the engines, F1 can’t make fundamental changes in the span of a few races or even a single season. “How far they go to helping the problems, you’re never going to fix the problems without changing the hardware of the power units, but I think it’s a step in the right direction,” Piastri said. “How much it helps, we’ll have to wait and see.” Max Verstappen, though, shared a more unique viewpoint on what he made of the rule changes, saying it was “a huge step forward in terms of the communication” but that the actual changes were more of a “tickle.” The Dutchman has been an outspoken critic of the new regulations, going so far as to call the cars “anti-racing” during Bahrain preseason testing. “At the end of the day, it’s a very complex and political sport,” the Red Bull driver said. “But I think everyone has tried their best to at least do something. But of course, it won’t change the world.” As dissatisfied as many drivers are with the new cars, they don’t have a formal seat at the table when it comes to creating the regulations. The F1 Commission members (including the FIA, all 11 F1 teams, Formula One Management, and the engine manufacturers) create the rule sets. Ultimately, it’s not the people who are in the cars each day but rather those with the technical and business knowledge. Verstappen reckons that if the drivers had input on the regulations five or six years ago, when the current ruleset was being developed, “we probably wouldn’t have been in the state that we are in now. “I just hope that it’s a lesson for the future.” And he’s not the only driver who holds this sentiment. Hamilton pointed out how the drivers aren’t formal stakeholders, and he feels it needs to change. The people currently in charge of creating the rules don’t sit in the driver’s seat, and real-life experience of how the cars feel and behave could be useful as another data point to reference. “Honestly, I think at the minute all the drivers want the same thing. From first place to last place, we all want the same thing,” Lando Norris said. “We all just want to go flat out, race closely, and at the same time, that’s the show that the fans want.” The McLaren driver said that the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, which is essentially a union for the drivers, has spoken about drivers having more official involvement, something they’re “all very aligned on.” But these regulations are also determined from a business perspective, something Norris acknowledged drivers can sometimes forget. “We have to accept that we’re maybe not always completely correct,” he continued. “But I think the majority of things that we think of as drivers, and we want for the sport, is a win-win.” Piastri feels driver involvement should exist at some level, such as in conversations about safety. He added, “But from a pure driving (perspective), as drivers, we’re always going to be complaining about something.” With these regulation tweaks that are being introduced starting with the Miami Grand Prix, the FIA said in its initial statement that the drivers provided “extensive input” in the discussions — something the drivers didn’t deny. Various drivers across the media sessions praised the collaboration. “It’s definitely the most collaborative they’ve sort of ever been in this regard, which is positive,” George Russell said. “And I think we concluded that they want to include us more when it comes to future regulations as well.” While Russell recognizes that the drivers can be selfish, given the type of car they desire may not produce the best spectacle, he feels the drivers should still help shape the regulations. “What may be the best and coolest and fastest cars for us to drive may not be the most exciting from a racing perspective, because if you take the V10 era from the early 2000s, that is probably a really great base of what a driver wants from a race car,” Russell said. “But the races were boring, and there was no overtaking, and there weren’t as many fans following the score. “And the truth is, F1 and the FIA, they aren’t idiots. They know what they’re doing, and the fans are loving the racing at the moment. Rightly or wrongly, the racing has been exciting. So, I think we should be involved. We should help shape it.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms