“The 2021 rule changes might not be that radical”

Mercedes’s domination of F1 this year (Austria, aside) had led to heated discussions over the future direction the series should take to liven up the on-track action.

We’ve been here many times before, of course. During the years Michael Schumacher and Ferrari dominated Formula 1 in the early 2000s, fans called for changes to end the monotony.

For the record, if Max Verstappen hadn’t lost so many places right at the start when his anti-stall kicked in at last weekend’s race, it would have been much less dramatic.

Right now, negotiations are ongoing about the new direction F1 should take, from both a sporting and commercial perspective, from the start of 2021. It has been labelled as a great new hope, a chance for the owner, Liberty Media, to stamp its vision on F1. However, the problem being discovered is there are too many vested interests to appease. It now looks as though the radical changes to shake-up the category are not going to be that radical.

The first problem is we are already locked into a series that will continue with the current engine formula, as it’s too late to change. Heavy, expensive hybrid machines are here to stay and that means the current carmakers continue to wield a powerful influence over F1.

The other aspect that will not alter is the tyres. The new deal with Pirelli starts next year and continues until the end of 2023, although they will become lower in profile. After visiting an FIA rules meeting in Paris recently, Lewis Hamilton expressed concerns over three key areas: tyres, aerodynamics and weight.

With the current hybrid units and more standard parts expected, the cars will be heavier and less nimble to drive.

They are already 200kg heavier than a car from two decades ago.

With both the power unit and tyres not changing, the biggest difference will be the aerodynamics to improve the racing. The governing body is trying to establish a set of regulations – incorporating similar ground effect regs to those adopted in Indycar – but the key problem is to keep the field close together and not allow the greater resourced teams to steal a march on the opposition. If that happens then the problems F1 has now, with one or two teams having an advantage over the opposition, will continue.

Unfortunately, the consensus in rule making, plus the wish of F1’s owners to retain key revenue streams is leading F1 towards a small, rather than a radical, overhaul for 2021. A reminder that, despite the spectacle, F1 remains a business first, a sporting contest second.