Stefano Domenicali, the chief executive of Formula One, has issued an urgent plea for calm after the damning driver criticism of the sport’s new regulations that has emerged during pre-season testing. But the Italian conceded that F1 is prepared to intervene and enforce changes should the racing prove disappointing.
There has been a clamour of discontent over how the new regulations will play out, particularly the role of energy management rather than driving flat-out. Not least from the four-time champion Max Verstappen, who dismissed the new rules as being “anti-racing” and insinuated that he might leave F1 if he no longer enjoyed driving the new cars.
Domenicali, speaking on the second day of the final pre-season test in Bahrain, faced a broadside of questions about the potential of the new rules being unappealing to fans and drivers and made repeated efforts to calm troubled waters.
“I’m totally positive to say that there will be another incredible year,” he said. “I don’t feel this anxiety, we need to stay calm because as always when there is something happening as a new regulation there’s always the doubt that everything is wrong.”
It is telling that Domenicali felt the need to address the disquiet which has been circling around the paddock as early as when the first simulations of the new cars were run last year but has now become very public and vocal during testing.
“I don’t understand what is all panicking going around because there will be an incredible racing, there will be a lot of action and that’s the most important thing,” he said. “I want to be positive in that respect and if something has to be rectified there will be the time and the measure that we can do together as a system to react.”
The regulation changes are the most wide-ranging in F1 history, including new engines featuring an almost 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power. The associated complex energy management demands on drivers lead them to have to lift off the throttle and with a finite amount of electrical energy available, drive in a prescribed fashion to ensure it is sufficiently recharged.
Verstappen has been the most outspoken critic of the new rules, dismissing the cars as being “not fun to drive” and “Formula E on steroids” but he is not alone. Lewis Hamilton has also aired what is believed to be a key issue of concern, that it would be all but incomprehensible to fans.
On the same day Domenicali addressed the issue even the world champion, Lando Norris, who had opened the week with a positive attitude towards the new cars, admitted he was concerned.
“It’s certainly very different. Is it as pure, is it as beautiful to drive as last year? Does it look as incredible? Definitely not and I agree with Max on a lot of comments, probably most of them,” Norris said. “I do agree with basically every other driver because I think every other driver has made their comments pretty clear. I just didn’t want to come out to the media and complain to everyone on the first weekend back.”
Domenicali insisted he had spoken to all 20 drivers this week in Bahrain and listened to their opinions and that talks about issues remained ongoing but that he was confident Verstappen’s concerns would be assuaged. “We know that Max will be part of the future of Formula One and of course it’s very important that we listen to him and as we listen to all the top drivers that are very important in this sport,” he said.
Nikolas Tombazis, the single-seater director of the world governing body, the FIA, also weighed into the debate on Thursday and said the sport was ready to take action to change the rules if required.
“We are completely conscious that we may need to make adjustments,” he said. “That has been a discussion we’ve been open with, with the teams and the power unit manufacturers for a long, long time and with the drivers. We are taking the drivers’ comments into consideration.”
Tombazis noted that no changes would take place until an assessment was made of the opening rounds in Australia and China and to allow the correct governance process required but Domenicali was unequivocal in admitting that, while he was calling for cool heads, action would be taken in no short order should it be needed.
“For me, what has to be protected and if this will not be the case we need to intervene, is having great racing, great overtaking opportunities, great challenges that you can give to the drivers to show if they are the best,” he said. “So, if these points will not be taken the right way, of course, we need to in a way intervene and react immediately.”