The drivers confirm that they want changes
The FIA press conference was an opportunity for the drivers to reaffirm their desire to be involved in the discussions about the future of F1.
After the Australian Grand Prix, the drivers issued a rare open letter to the F1 leadership to express their belief that the decision-making process is now obsolete.
The six drivers invited by the FIA to Bahrain confirmed that they wanted long-term consideration on the changes that would be decided. Fernando Alonso stated: “We love the sport. We love it so much that, maybe, we think that in recent years, we have somewhat veered to the right or left, without a clear direction. We want to help in the areas that the fans want, that the drivers want, that the sponsors want. They have clearly expressed what they wanted.”
Nico Rosberg, for his part, confirmed that it is indeed the decision-making process that no longer suits current realities. The changes that the drivers want to bring aim to make the sport genuinely more interesting: “We could be an even more exciting sport. We want to ask if the governance of F1 can review its decision-making process on all these matters to ensure that we can make better decisions and have a more exciting sport.”
If we can obviously think of the fiasco of the Melbourne qualifications, which will nevertheless be repeated in Sakhir, it’s not the only element on the drivers’ radar. They are also concerned about the rules, particularly aerodynamic ones, which are planned for next year, as explained by the Mercedes driver: « We are going to add more aerodynamic downforce when we should be trying to encourage overtaking. It is known that more aerodynamic downforce makes overtaking and following other cars more difficult. It’s not necessarily the right direction. »
Romain Grosjean thus summarized why the drivers decided to make this public appearance: « I think Fernando summed it up well: he has broken ribs and yet he wanted to race because we love this sport. We are fans of Formula One. We want it to be the best, with the best drivers, the best cars, and the best show. »
It remains to be seen whether their opinion will truly be taken into account or if it will remain unheard. The process surrounding the qualification system leaves little hope…
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
