Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have queried the decision-making process in Formula 1, suggesting that slower cars in 2019 won’t aid the quality of racing.
Formula 1 chiefs agreed to tweak next year’s regulations to include a simplified front-wing, with a larger span, and low outwash potential, as well as a wider and deeper rear-wing.
This was agreed upon in order to promote closer racing and increase the possibility of drivers being able to make overtaking moves.
However, it will come at the expense of lap times, with Formula 1 Head of Technical Matters Nikolas Tombazis expecting the 2019 cars to be 1.5s/lap slower than their 2018 counterparts.
When asked for his thoughts on the anticipated slower lap times, Hamilton said: “I think in this sport the technology we’re developing and moving forward all the time…
“I don’t know if that’s… it’s not going to make any difference if you make us three seconds or one-and-a-half second slower, it’s not going to make the racing any better.
“We always want to go faster, we want to improve technology, push the boundaries and limits, one of the exciting things this year is we are breaking records.
“It’s incredible what the technology we have and what we’re doing with it, [next year] we should be at least as fast as we are this year [while] just making the racing better.”
Vettel concurred with Hamilton, commenting: “I find it a bit comical. In 2009 we went ‘let’s go less aerodynamics, better racing’, then we said ‘the cars are too slow, let’s go and put more aerodynamics and make them wider and more spectacular’.
“All the drivers feedback was ‘thank you very much, that’s what we like’, it’s more challenging, you see us more exhausted after the race and now you make them slower again!
“I don’t know, it’s a bit like cruising to America and changing direction 100 times.
“I think you should ask us what we need to overtake.
“We are drivers – not to say that we know everything, we don’t know anything about engineering the car – but we know how the cars feel, and their limitations to overtake, but we’re not really asked.”
