Components 1 applied its largest set of technical rules in historical past, aiming to enhance the racing spectacle.
However one of many sport’s largest stars just isn’t a fan, not less than not but.
4-time Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen met the media in Bahrain on Thursday, web site of F1’s second spherical of pre-season testing, and blasted the brand new era of automobiles. Throughout his media session the Purple Bull driver pointed on the new rules and referred to as them “anti-racing,” and said that the automobiles really feel “extra like Components E on steroids.”
“To drive [they are] not loads of enjoyable, to be sincere,” he mentioned. “I might say the appropriate phrase is administration. It’s not very Components 1-like. It feels a bit extra like Components E on steroids. However the guidelines are the identical for everybody, so it’s important to take care of that.”
Underneath the brand new rules, the automobiles for this season see a close to 50/50 cut up between battery energy and the Inner Combustion Engine (ICE). From Verstappen’s perspective, that has led to a automotive that you just can’t drive “flat out.”
”As a pure driver, I take pleasure in driving flat out and in the mean time, you can’t drive like that. There’s rather a lot occurring. A variety of what you do as a driver, by way of inputs, has a large impact on the power aspect of issues. For me, that’s simply not Components 1. Perhaps it’s then higher to drive Components E, proper? As a result of that’s all about power, effectivity and administration,” mentioned Verstappen.
“We’re power poor. I simply need regular driving, simply the way it ought to be with out having to [say]: ‘Oh, if I brake a bit longer or much less or extra, or one gear up or down.’ It so closely impacts the efficiency on the straights. Plus, the grip in the mean time is kind of low with these tyres and the automotive configuration. It’s a massive step again to the way it was.”
Verstappen just isn’t alone on this opinion. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton additionally famous the quantity of “lift-and-coast” drivers must do to handle battery energy on this era of automobiles.
”In case you have a look at Barcelona, for instance, we’re doing 600 metres raise and coast on a qualifying lap. That’s not what racing is about. Right here (in Bahrain), we’re not having to do this as a result of there’s numerous braking zones,” mentioned Hamilton on Wednesday.
”The low gears that we now have to go down into is simply because we will’t get better sufficient battery energy,” continued the seven-time champion.
“We will’t get better sufficient battery energy, in order that’s why we now have to go and rev the engines very, very, very excessive. So we’re happening to second and first in some locations simply to attempt to get better that additional little bit of energy.”
Returning to Verstappen, the Purple Bull driver famous that if it had been as much as him, the brand new rules can be a lot completely different.
”Actually, the proportion of the automotive seems to be good, I feel. That’s not the issue. It’s simply the whole lot else that may be a bit, for me, anti-racing,” continued Verstappen. “Most likely individuals won’t be pleased with me saying this proper now. However I’m outspoken and why am I not allowed to say what I consider my race automotive? I can’t assist that.
“I imply, I didn’t write the regulation. If it was, I feel, as much as non-political points of creating a regulation, I feel, anyway, the automotive would have most likely have seemed very completely different.”
F1’s second spherical of pre-season testing concludes on Thursday.
However it’s unlikely Verstappen’s thoughts can have modified by then.
