Autobayng News Team
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has dismissed claims that overtaking has become more “artificial” under the series’ new regulations.
The inability of the new power units to provide enough electrical energy for repeated flying laps has led to repeated changes of position between drivers at times. While some have praised the changes to the racing, others have criticised it as “yo-yo racing”.
World champions Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have been among the most vocal critics. “This is not racing, this is yo-yoing,” said Norris after the last race. “I didn’t even want to overtake Lewis [Hamilton], it’s just my battery deploys, and I don’t want it to deploy but I can’t control it.”
However Domenicali rejected claims the repeated changes of position which have become common in this year’s races are “artificial.”
“Overtaking, some people are saying is artificial,” he said. “What is artificial? Overtaking is overtaking.”
Speaking to Autosport, Domenicali claimed – without offering any evidence – that the number of people who approve of the new regulations outnumber those who have criticised them: “The dimension is definitely in the biggest side of the polarisation, being positive rather [than] the other one.”
He argued the varying power levels delivered by today’s engines is no different to when drivers had direct control over their turbo boost levels in the eighties. “People have a short memory,” said Domenicali, “because at the turbo age – in the eighties, I was already following quite well Formula 1 – the lift-and-coast are using different turbo in different speed and you have to save in racing because otherwise the fuel tank was too small, you couldn’t have the time.”
The FIA is holding its latest technical meeting today to consider improvements to the regulations, particularly in the light of Oliver Bearman’s high-speed crash at Suzuka.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Formula 1
- The crashes F1 is trying to prevent may be rare – but the danger is obvious
- F1 returning to India soon after 2027 sounds like wishful thinking
- Verstappen loathes F1’s new generation of cars – but what do his rivals reckon?
- The ‘throwback weekend’ is back in fashion. But it’s a flawed concept – especially for F1
- Is Formula 1’s double race cancellation a blessing in disguise?
Published by
Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 – when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing. View all posts by Keith Collantine
