Whereas the headline information across the FIA because the Qatar Grand Prix acquired below manner lined extra staffing turmoil, the governing physique’s efforts on revising Formulation 1’s racing guidelines was an altogether optimistic affair.
“That is the very best assembly I’d say we’ve had,” was Lewis Hamilton’s evaluation of the one-hour assembly involving the officers and the drivers.
Based mostly on George Russell’s remark that “simply once we’ve requested for a little bit of transparency and consistency, we’re eliminating two extremely vital folks within the governing physique”, following the information that Formulation 2 race director Janette Tan being was dismissed and senior steward Tim Mayer had been dropped, it appears the drivers are nonetheless exasperated with unexplained adjustments on the governing physique.
However they’re happy they’re being listened to in different areas, with the outcomes of the dialogue on F1’s racing guidelines within the aftermath of Max Verstappen’s strikes towards Lando Norris in Austin and Mexico Metropolis again in focus.
Now that the FIA has offered its findings into the reassessment of the present ‘Driving Requirements Pointers’ doc – as promised again on the Mexican GP – the drivers have been inevitably tight-lipped on what the proposals meant for his or her racing techniques. That is comprehensible given the necessity to keep away from sign-posting battle intentions {that a} rival may internalise and in the future use towards them.
Russell’s place as the one director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation at present racing means his phrases carry added significance on this debate, however he was additionally the primary to talk to the F1 press corps as soon as the assembly that overran its allotted timeframe had completed.
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Crew
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
The Mercedes driver revealed “there’s a line of regulation that claims the within driver wants to go away room to the man on the surface from the apex to the exit” and added: “I believe that is going to be getting binned off and I hope it is going to be from this weekend onwards.”
Relating to outdoors line assaults, he mentioned: “I believe the overtaking guidelines on the surface is not going to be altering a lot and I do not assume we have actually seen a lot of an issue [with that].”
When pressed on the specifics of essentially the most contentious strikes within the 2024 F1 season – Verstappen turning defence into assault on the within line at Flip 12 at Austin and Flip 4 in Mexico, in each cases towards Norris – neither Russell nor Hamilton gave something away, with the seven-time world champion talking instantly after his team-mate.
When requested about his actions in these much-discussed strikes once more on Thursday in Qatar after the Mercedes pair had spoken, Verstappen deflected – arguing the issue as a substitute lies with the observe design.
However the revelation to this point that the one proposed adjustments to the rules will concern attacking strikes from a driver racing on an inside line is in itself regarding. It might theoretically cease a driver being overtaken on the surface from persevering with combating to the extent they make it appear to be they’ve been run out of highway and deserve a penalty, when the cross was truly clear.
However the primary drawback with the rules as they at present stand is that they go away open the encouragement for a driver who’s being overtaken, when defending on the within, to race to ensure they’ve their wheels forward on the apex.
This consequently then means their rival on the surface shouldn’t be entitled to house by the letter of the rule, however it creates the contentious situations witnessed significantly within the Verstappen/Norris Austin Flip 12 conflict.
Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battles with Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing RB20
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos
Comparisons with Verstappen defending in the identical method towards Hamilton on the 2021 Brazilian GP – albeit at a lot larger pace – get up, even after the rules have been launched in 2022 following a earlier push from the drivers on the matter.
However solely shifting to alter the wording of a special situation suggests such techniques will now stay technically authorized, regardless that there’s a robust argument that they go towards sporting equity. Permitting that ambiguity to stay would imply essentially the most debated racing parts of 2024 may be repeated.
The opposite query on what has been proposed is whether or not the change concerning attacking on the within would come into pressure earlier than the 2024 season ends, as this was a part of the explanation why the FIA needed to report again to the drivers in Qatar.
Russell’s phrases above recommend that agency settlement on this was not reached on Thursday.
Motorsport.com understands that the FIA is planning to launch a press release on the outcomes of the assembly on Friday, which raises expectations that closure can nonetheless be reached. FIA sources have additionally indicated that the governing physique and the drivers are dedicated to working collectively to convey readability to the rules and the officiating choices that stem from them.
Nevertheless it stays to be seen if this implies publishing the up to date tips publicly, as beforehand this has been denied to keep away from a social media pile-on within the aftermath of clashes.
Up to now, the drivers appear to be glad, but when they agreed to the proposed adjustments, it will then be disingenuous to query the principles the subsequent time there’s a flashpoint.
On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
Formulation 1
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