Formula 1 cars will be up to seven seconds slower in 2021, according to Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer.
F1 is set to undergo major changes in '21, with new rules and cars being introduced with the aim of creating more entertainment by allowing cars to follow more closely, in the hope there will be an increase in overtaking.
To achieve this, F1 bosses are working on a new set of technical regulations which will deliver a car that produces just 5-10 per cent of the turbulent airlow of present day cars, but this comes at the cost of speed according to Szafnauer.
"My main worries are the cars are going to be heavier, the downforce is going to be a lot less. So we’re going to be what, five, six or seven seconds a lap slower depending on where we are," he said on Saturday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.
"We’re going to be spending $175 million if you spend up to the limit. And then there’s something excluded as well so you’ll have spent $200 [million] to have a formula that’s barely quicker than Formula 2. Where the cars look the same. And that’s the risk."
Szafnauer believes F1 should showcase the fastest cars on the planet – without that he reckons the sport loses some of its appeal.
"Although I work in the sport I was a fan before and one thing that I really liked about Formula 1 before I started working here is they are the fastest cars on the planet. That was one of the differentiators. Once we’re not that anymore then it takes a little bit away."
Whilst Szafnauer's claims may be accurate, it wouldn't be the first time team bosses have made similar claims, only to find that they're matching or exceeding their predecessor's performance. Prior to the introduction of the 2018 car, it was claimed they would be slower, but they have gone on to beat lap records at almost every circuit.
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