You’ll just turn into FORMULA BORE
Drivers criticise meddling bosses, brand new rule changes 'comical' and insist THEY are the ones who should be asked how to improve F1
LEWIS HAMILTON should have let out a sigh of relief as he took pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix — and wrested back control of his world championship defence — but he immediately hissed his disapproval at Formula One’s meddlesome new rulers.
Step forward Ross Brawn for a pelting.
The ‘Big Bear’ is the technical leader of the sport’s new era under Liberty Media and, in his wisdom, has ushered in aerodynamic changes for next season. The idea? To increase overtaking. The drawback? A reduction i n speed of some second-and-a-half per lap.
Hamilton, whose pole was his first since the opening race in Melbourne, was unimpressed, saying: ‘We always want to go faster and improve technology and push the boundaries. One of the exciting things this year is we are breaking records. We should be at least as fast next year. We are making racing better.’
Vettel, who will start third and is four points behind Hamilton, said: ‘I agree. I find it comical. In 2009, it was decided to have less aerodynamics and have better racing but it didn’t change too much. Then we said the cars are too slow so let’s put more aero on the car and make the cars wider and more spectacular.
‘All the feedback from the drivers was positive. It has made it more challenging and you see us more exhausted after races. And yet we now want to make them slower again! It is a bit like cruising to America and changing direction one hundred times. They should ask us drivers what we need. We are driving. Not that we say we know everything but we know how the cars feel and the limitations on overtaking. But we are never really asked.’
Alas, Brawn is not in Barcelona this weekend to heart he complaints directly. His plans — modified front and rear wings and front brake ducts to make it easier for cars to follow each other — have al ready been criticised by Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who said they had been ‘rushed’ through. So why meddle? Hamilton’s pole yesterday was three seconds quicker than his pole lap a year ago, though that pace will be surrendered in the doubtful pursuit of closer racing. And, actually, is the action so bad now? No, we have enjoyed a keen start to the season.
This row takes us to the heart of the impasse in Hamilton’s contract situation. As Bernie Ecclestone said: ‘ I don’t think Lewis is sure what is happening in Formula One and that’s why he is delaying.’ Clarity, a proper way forward, is called for.
But several people here are privately asking whether Brawn is the man to redraw the rules post-2020 — the big change in the landscape that awaits.
Is he dictatorial enough? Or too much of a consensus-builder in a sport whose rivalries defy cosy conciliation? Certainly, tinkering with next year’s fare is an uncalled for diversion.
Back on track, history suggests it is very much a case of advantage Hamilton.
Grid position counts heavily here. In only three of the 27 races at the Circuit de Catalunya has the winner come from outside the front row; Michael Schumacher from third in 1996; Fernando Alonso from fifth in 2013 and Max Verstappen from fourth in 2016. Hamilton, twice winner in Barcelona, was four-hundredths quicker than Valtteri Bottas, who completed Mercedes’ front-row lock-out.
Vettel was followed in t he time-sheets by his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen. The Red Bulls of Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were fifth and sixth fastest.
There was more misery at Williams, however, for whom Lance Stroll ended up in the gravel, his qualifying over ignominiously. An aghast Martin Brundle, commentating on Sky, said: ‘I’ve never seen an F1 car crash like that on the exit of turn 12.’
Back in the Williams garage, a group of staff laughed loudly.
Excuse me, but this is the team Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head turned into a force that delivered 114 victories through drivers such as Piquet, Mansell and Prost. And now they are rattling around at the back with men not fit to lace their fuel: SergeySirotk in, funded by Russian moolah, and the hopeless Stroll. It is a sad state of affairs.
Also at the back of the grid will be Brendon Hartley, of Toro Rosso, who spun off dramatically during final practice.
McLaren had one car in the top-10 shoot-out for the first time this year. Fernando Alonso squeezed in but team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne just missed out.
With racing director Eric Boullier under great pressure for his job, eighth and 11th quickest was some much-needed improvement, if hardly a ringing endorsement.