Red Bull Chief Technical Director Adrian Newey claims the regulation changes for Formula One in 2017 have “no real fundamental differences.”
When questioned about the regulation changes by The National Newey claimed the changes due to come into effect for the 2017 season “are actually not that different to what we have now”.
The new regulations are designed to encourage faster and meaner looking cars whilst limiting the ultimate influence the aerodynamics currently hold over the performance of a car. To achieve this the cars will now be allowed to be wider, have wider tyres fitted in an attempt to make the cars up to five seconds a lap quicker as claimed by the FIA. It is hard to see how this huge decrease in lap times can be achieved with very minimal changes, by increasing the power and limiting the drag they may be able to make a small increase in top speed on the straights which will bring the lap times down but by no means will this be enough to shave five seconds a lap off.
Adrian Newey agrees the changes are not enough but he is glad to see changes happening.
“I have always enjoyed rule changes because it gives fresh opportunities. The regulations have become increasingly restrictive. If you go back to, let’s say the 1970s and the 1980s, you saw this huge variety of shapes of cars because the regulations were relatively free.”
“Now, if you painted all the cars white in the pit lane, you have to be quite knowledgeable to know which car is from which team.”
“Regulation changes give that opportunity to do something different. However, with the regulation changes that are being talked about for 2017, they are actually not that different to what we have now. Slightly wider tyres. Slightly revised aerodynamics regulations. No really fundamental differences.”
To change the landscape and predictability of Formula One, the rules and regulations need to be stripped back to the bare bones and built back up with wheel to wheel racing in mind. For the sake of racing and the fan base, the FIA needs to seriously look into making more radical changes, until then we can expect more of the same.
